Luthor & Luthor
by phoenixnz
Summary: Lex and Kyle Luthor are private detectives. Both are unlucky in love although Kyle has been in love with one woman for years. He just has to tell her that. An AU. Lex is a good guy.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Lex Luthor had the kind of walk most people would envy. It was sort of a cross between a swagger and a strut. His mother had once told him it reminded her of John Travolta walking down the streets of New York in Saturday Night Fever. It was the kind of walk that would have women and some men, turn their heads to watch.

Lex liked to consider himself a fairly refined kind of man. He favoured tailored suits when meeting potential clients, although when he was at home relaxing he preferred to don long-sleeved casual shirts over wool trousers. The look was understated but still in keeping with the cool, confident image he wanted to project.

It was a pity, he thought, the same couldn't be said for his brother.

He leaned over the pool table, analysing the position of each ball so he could figure the best angle to shoot from. Just as he was ready to take the shot, a large hand came down and picked up the nine ball.

Lex straightened up and glared, then looked at the visitor from top to toe. He was wearing a blue and black plaid shirt over blue denim jeans, and ugh, Lex thought, snakeskin boots?

"Like 'em?" Kyle grinned. "Just got 'em."

Lex groaned.

"Snakeskin."

"What's wrong with snakeskin?"

"Other than the fact they're snakeskin?"

"Hey, you stick with your Italian leather, I'll take the snakeskin."

Lex rolled his eyes.

"So what are you doing here? I thought we weren't meeting up in the city until tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I broke up with Lana."

"Again? Jesus Kal, I could get dizzy with the way you two keep going around in circles. What was it this time?"

"She doesn't understand me!" his brother complained, going to sit on the leather couch, putting his feet up on the glass table.

"Hey, shoes!"

The brunet rolled his eyes but put his feet on the floor. Lex poured himself a finger of scotch.

"Thanks bro!" Kyle smiled, reaching a hand out.

'Bro'. Wonderful. Reduced to yet another nickname that was just another poor reflection of modern man's laziness with the English language.

"Kal, for the love of God, stop trying to sound like the common man. You're a Luthor. Act like it!"

"Hey, it wasn't my idea for us to move to this charming cow town," Kyle complained. "And you know if Mom catches you calling me Kal ..."

"It's not like the servants are around to hear," Lex said reasonably, handing his brother a glass of the highland. "Since when do you drink scotch anyway? I thought you were a beer man?"

"Today, I drink scotch. Sue me."

Lex sat in the leather chair contemplating his brother.

"You're in an odd mood," he commented.

"Well, yeah, you know, because of the break-up."

"You don't love her, so I don't know why you keep trying."

"You know why," Kyle said, sighing heavily.

"Uh, speaking of Mom," Lex began, ready to change the subject, but what he was going to say next was drowned in the 'dulcet' tones of the woman flinging open the double doors.

"I hate men!"

"Doesn't anyone ever knock around here?" Lex muttered, earning a look from his brother. Kyle smiled up at the brunette.

"Lois."

Lois Lane frowned. "Didn't you hear what I just said?" she asked. "I hate men."

Kyle patted the seat next to him. "C'mon, tell me all about it."

Oh lord, Lex was going to get cavities with the sugary sweetness in his brother's voice as he coaxed Lois into sitting next to him. His phone vibrated on the desk and Lex got up to answer it.

"Alexander, sweetheart."

"Uh, Mom, hi," he said, seeing his brother's ears perk up.

Kyle got up from the couch, taking Lois' hand. Lex immediately knew what he was going to do, even as he kept half an ear on what Lillian was saying.

"Don't you dare move a muscle," he told his brother.

"Oh is that Kyle," his mother practically twittered in his ear. "You know, that boy's been avoiding me. Put him on."

Lex held out the phone.

"Uh, no," Kyle said. "She scares me."

Lois punched him in the shoulder. "How can you be scared of your own mother?" she berated him. "Go over there and talk to her."

"Uh, Lois, you have met my mother, right?"

"Your mother is the sweetest woman on the face of this planet," Lois said with a grin, knowing very well that Lillian Luthor could act with the best of them.

"Oh sure, she loves you!" Kyle snorted, taking the phone. "Hi Mom."

Lex grinned at Lois as Kyle began nodding his head, only interjecting occasionally with a 'yes Mom' or 'no Mom'. Sucker! Lex thought. He would probably be in for a world of pain later. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Kyle, or Kal, as Lex often preferred to call him, had been stronger than him since the age of about three when he'd been found butt naked in a cornfield. Well, their parents had assumed Kal was three.

"Drink, Lois?" he asked.

"Sure," she said, grinning as she watched Kal try to get a word in edgewise.

"So," he said, splashing a finger of scotch in a glass. "What's been happening with you?"

"Well, remember that guy I was seeing? The one at the Planet? I swear, you know, when I was a kid," which incidentally hadn't been that long ago, "I swore I was never going to be a reporter because I was guaranteed to be sitting across from the most bumbling nerd in the office. I mean, okay, I got lucky there, but ..."

"What about the guy you were seeing?" he said, trying to follow her tangent.

"Well, Steve Lombard, that was his name, or maybe I should call him jerk, because he really is ... stole my story! I mean, we went to dinner and I got a little, yanno, tipsy, and I was telling him about this great lead I had and he went and published the story under his byline."

"Well, I know this great leg-breaker," Lex offered.

Lois grinned. "Yeah, I bet you do, in your line of work."

Kal finally hung up.

"Mom says hi," he told Lois, before turning to Lex. "She said to tell you not to forget her birthday on Friday." Yeah, he knew that already, since he'd been planning to talk with his brother about that same subject.

"When have I ever forgotten Mom's birthday?" Lex retorted. "I mean, you're the one who's supposed to have the great memory, yet you've forgotten her birthday every year for the past ten years. And who ends up buying her a gift and putting your name on it?"

"Well, you're always great at picking out gifts," Kal said.

Lois was making kissing noises.

"Oh yeah, nice one, Lane," Kal retorted.

"You know, that's a lousy comeback, even for you Smallville."

Kal rolled his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, don't call me Smallville! I mean, geez!"

"Ahh, you love it," Lois grinned, punching him in the shoulder once more.

"Again with the punching," he complained. "You know, one of these days, I might just punch back."

"Oh, you and what army, Smallville!" Lois said, her eyes twinkling. "We both know you'd never hit a girl."

"Well, I never thought of you as a girl," Kal said. "More like a pain in my ass!"

Lois began gesturing, rubbing her thumb up and down her index finger and middle finger.

"What is that?"

"That, my friend, is the world's smallest violin playing 'My heart bleeds for you'."

Lois put down the now empty glass and turned, her long hair flying.

"I gotta go. Thanks for the drink, Lex. Will you be in town for lunch tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we have to meet a client at ten. Russian Tea Room at noon?" Lex confirmed.

"I'll be there," she smiled.

"I broke up with Lana," Kal blurted.

Lois cocked an eyebrow at him. "Again? You poor baby," she said sarcastically.

"You don't believe me," he said with a pout.

She sighed, pausing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.

"I know you, Kyle Luthor. You're gonna last five minutes and then you'll be back on her doorstep begging for another chance." She shook her head. "Beats me how you could blow off a hottie like me for someone like her. Your loss."

She waved and went out. Lex looked at his brother. Kal seemed to have lost all the spark he'd gained in the last few minutes of bantering with the reporter.

"You've got it bad, little brother. I still fail to comprehend why you don't just admit how you feel to her."

Kal looked at him. "You know she would never take me seriously."

"So you settle for someone like Lana instead. I thought you learned your lesson last time when she tried to shack up with me. At least I had the good sense to see she was just trying to make you jealous."

Kal grinned. "Yeah, you've always had my back, Lex."

"What are big brothers for," Lex said philosophically.

It was true though. From the moment they'd found each other in the cornfield on that dark October day, through losing their father Lionel three months later; through the revelations of Kal's true origins and deciding to go into business together they had always been there for each other. And always would.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One - October 1989

Lex Luthor was bored. It was bad enough that Dad had made him fly here, in the helicopter, when Dad knew he hated heights. Now he had to stare at a cornfield while Dad talked to the other men. Lex had some idea what they were saying. It was some kind of business deal. Lex picked up a pebble and threw it into the cornfield. A crow squawked at him as he startled it and flew off.

"Lex? Son?"

The nine-year-old ignored the distant voice of his father and decided to wander around the cornfield.

"Help me," a voice said in a hoarse whisper.

Lex, his red hair blowing in the breeze, looked around for the source of the voice. He tripped and fell, knocking his head against a wooden post.

"Hey kid."

Startled, Lex lifted his head and realised there was a guy tied to some sort of cross.

"Can you get me down?" he said.

Lex hesitated. What should he do? Should he go get help?

Suddenly there was a whoosh and what seemed like a rain of fire in the sky. A huge cloud came barrelling toward him. The wind was almost enough to knock even the strongest man in the world off his feet. Lex began running, tripping once again and falling with a cry. His asthma inhaler somehow fell out of his pocket. Lex felt the first constricting tightness in his chest and he looked around frantically for the inhaler.

Then he was hit by the cloud and everything went black.

He didn't know how long he'd been there when something blotted out the sun. He thought it might be another one of those things in the sky, but as he looked up through squinting eyes, he saw it was a little boy. Aged maybe two or three, with black curly hair and the sweetest smile. The little boy leaned down and touched Lex's cheek, stroking it with a soft hand.

Lex vaguely registered the sound of someone calling him, but he was shivering with cold; he felt so weak. He turned his head to look up at the little boy again but the boy was gone. Probably scared, he thought as he passed out again.

It was more than a week later, or so he later discovered, before he woke up and felt reasonably normal again. As normal as he could be. He guessed he was in a hospital somewhere, as there was a machine next to the bed, which was narrow and very uncomfortable and had a metal rail along one side. Suddenly the door flew open and a little face peered in.

Lex recognised that face. It was the little boy he'd seen in the field.

"Hello," Lex said.

The boy came fully into the room, his smile as brilliant as sunshine. He stood by the bed, looking pleadingly up at Lex, who realised the boy was too little to climb up. Lex leaned over and picked the boy up, straining with the effort, so the boy could sit on the bed.

"What's your name?" he asked, but the boy remained silent. "Can you talk?"

A little thumb went into the mouth.

"Don't do that," Lex told him. "You're not supposed to suck your thumb, it's bad for you."

The boy obviously didn't care. He lay with his head in Lex's lap, looking up at him adoringly. Lex stroked the boy's curly head.

The door opened again and Lex looked up to see an angel with red hair.

"Oh, Lex, you're awake. Oh sweetheart, I was so worried about you."

Lex loved the warmth of his mother's arms as she enveloped him in a hug, careful not to disturb the little boy in his lap. She talked non-stop about how happy she was that he was awake and that he was going to be all right.

Lex saw his father come in, the bearded man looking stoic as usual. Lex didn't care. He had his mother there. He looked down at the child, who was still looking up at him with big green eyes.

"Can we keep him, Mom?" he asked.

Lillian laughed gaily. "Oh my darling, didn't you know?" she said, stroking the little boy's head. "This is Kyle. He's going to be your brother."

Lex stared at his mother, incredulous. "He is?"

She nodded. "Poor baby. We think his parents died in the meteor shower, so your father and I decided we should adopt him. Would you like that, Lex?"

"Yeah, Mom," he said, nodding. "Why did you call him Kyle?"

"Well, we asked him his name and all he could come up with was Kal. Poor thing. He doesn't seem to be able to talk much, but he does understand us."

That changed over the next few months, but then a lot changed over that time. Lex had been dismayed to learn he had lost his hair due to the meteor exposure. Still, his new little brother didn't seem to mind, following him around the house like a little lost puppy. It seemed inevitable that the first word he'd spoken was Lex. He dissolved into giggles as he chanted his big brother's name until Lex would roll his eyes and give the three-year-old a shove.

His mother seemed to have a new lease on life with Kyle's adoption. Lillian adored her two boys and wasn't afraid to show real affection. Unlike Lionel who thought his wife was making the boys soft. The couple argued almost constantly, although they were careful not to do it in earshot of the boys. Lex was only too aware of the problems in his parents' relationship.

His mother clearly never thought he knew, but he had heard there were some financial problems in the company. Lionel's trip to Smallville had ostensibly been to purchase a creamed corn factory. He'd just signed on the dotted line and handed over the cheque when the meteor shower had occurred and the building had been set ablaze.

Lex overheard his father shouting at someone on the phone in his study. It seemed there were problems with the insurance on the building. Lex didn't know the full story, since he had only heard one half of it, but he guessed the insurance company was coming up with a lot of roadblocks in order to not pay out.

The shouting had come to an abrupt end, almost as if Lionel was cut off mid-sentence. Lex bit his lip, wondering if he should go in, but Dad had told him never to interrupt him when he was on a call. He heard movement behind him and turned around. Kyle was staring at him, green-eyes wide.

"Why Daddy shouting?" he asked, his ability to talk still oddly stilted even after three months.

"I don't know," Lex said. "I'm gonna go in and check."

"Daddy be mad," Kyle reminded him. It seemed his brother wasn't ignorant of their father's temper either. Lex steeled himself as he put his hand on the door handle, then opened the door.

Lionel wasn't at his desk. He didn't seem to be anywhere in the room, which was strange, since there was only one entry. Lex moved further into the room, gasping as he saw his father laying on the floor. Lionel's face was ashen. The receiver on the phone was hanging on its cord below the top of the desk.

"Kyle, go get Mom. Hurry!"

He heard Kyle running off, yelling "Momma!" at the top of his lungs. Lex turned his head, trying to ascertain whether his father was breathing.

"Dad!" he cried, shaking his father, but Lionel was still.

His mother came running in. "Lionel! Oh no! Lex, baby, come away."

He watched in shock as she took the phone, pressing down on the disconnect button and dialling 911.

"Yes, this is Lillian Luthor. My husband has collapsed. I don't know. I'm not sure how long."

"Only a couple of minutes, Mom," Lex said quietly. "Mom, he's not breathing."

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes wide with trepidation. She listened for a few more seconds, then hung up, gathering both her boys into her arms.

"It'll be all right," she told them. "The paramedics are coming. They'll ... they'll help him."

Lex lay within the security of her arms, knowing she needed the comfort as much as he did.

The paramedics arrived within minutes, but while the family refused to admit it, they all knew it was hopeless. Lionel was gone. The coroner later determined he had suffered a heart attack which had been almost instantaneously fatal. What he didn't say was that Lionel's lifestyle, especially the hard liquor and the amounts of illegal narcotics in his system, had led to the heart attack. Years later, Lex would wonder why his mother hadn't tried CPR but he'd realised she'd been in complete shock and hadn't known what to do other than call emergency services. Not that it would have done any good in the end.

The death of his father led to a whole new series of complications for the family. Lawyers, accountants and creditors descended like sharks in a feeding frenzy. To top it off, Lex's nanny, Pamela admitted she had had an affair with Lionel when Lex was a baby, resulting in her becoming pregnant with a daughter, who had been packed off to an orphanage when she was five. Then a woman named Rachel Dunleavy, who had been hired as a nurse when Lillian became dangerously ill from a previously undiagnosed heart condition, also came forward saying she had had a son to Lionel.

Lillian, not one to step back and let bygones be bygones, immediately set about finding both Luthor children and suing for custody. So suddenly Lex went from having no siblings at all, to having a baby brother and then a little sister, who was eight and a five year old brother. Lillian seemed to revel in having two more children to raise. Now that Lionel was gone, she seemed happier; more carefree.

After the funeral, and through the months of turmoil of discovering Lionel had not only made some bad investments which left Luthorcorp in ruins but also been involved in deals with criminal organisations, Lillian decided Metropolis was bad for the family and uprooted them to Smallville. She had at least been shrewd enough to keep stocks in the smaller company her great-grandfather had built and was still a very wealthy woman.

Just before his death, Lionel had purchased a castle in Scotland and had been in negotiations to have it moved to the town. Lillian had confided in Lex that his father had bought the property for no other reason than he liked the idea of being 'lord of the manor' as his supposed ancestors would have been. Lex had no idea if it was true and Lionel was really descended from Scottish nobility, and since his father was dead he couldn't ask.

Lex didn't want to go and live in Smallville, especially since it had been the 'scene of the crime'. Kyle, at four, was too little to understand what was going on and Luke didn't seem to care either way, but Tess understood.

"Mooom!" she complained bitterly. She had called Lillian 'Mom' from the moment she'd learned Lillian had adopted her. The custody battle between Pam and Lillian had been less than amicable, considering they had once been friends. Pam had wanted to take her daughter back, but even Lex knew his former nanny wasn't going to be able to take care of a child; not financially at least.

"What is it, Lutessa?"

The young redhead scowled. "Mom, my name is Tess, not Lutessa. I hate that name."

She sat on the couch with her knees apart. Lillian frowned at her, pushing her knees together.

"Darling, really, act like a lady."

Tess pouted. "Mom, why do we have to go to Smallville?"

"Because I'm selling the house. The mansion in Smallville is perfectly adequate for our needs. Besides, it'll be good for Lex's health."

"I don't get sick anymore Mom," he reminded her.

His asthma, which had made him a very sickly little boy, had disappeared after the meteors had hit. He hadn't even had a dose of the flu, although Kyle and Luke and been very sick three months earlier.

Kyle was an odd little boy. Lex had been looking for something in his room, reaching under the bed for it when Kyle had come in and lifted the bed over his head. Lex had stared in shock at his little brother, who was giggling and pointing.

"You got dust bunnies," he giggled.

Their mother had been complaining about the 'dust bunnies' that the maids just never seemed to be able to get rid of and Kyle had asked her what they were, clearly thinking dust bunnies were shaped like real bunnies.

"Kyle, how did you ... what are you ...?"

Lillian had come in, staring open-mouthed at Kyle.

"Kyle, baby, you put that down right now."

Kyle started to drop the bed and she hastily put out a hand.

"Gently, baby," she coaxed.

Lex looked at his mother as Kyle let the bed down. She knew Kyle was stronger than normal kids. As she took Kyle's hand and led him out of the bedroom, she sent Lex a look which suggested they would talk about this later.

She came to his room that night. Lex sat up in bed as she turned on his night light.

"Sweetheart, I know you're curious, but you have to promise me that you will keep this a secret."

"What is it, Mom?"

"Kyle's real parents didn't die in the meteor shower. Well, that we knew of. He came to Earth in a spaceship."

"Spaceship?" Lex exclaimed loudly and she shushed him.

"Sweetheart, you can't say a word to anyone. Especially not Kyle. He's too little to understand what it means, but you're his big brother and I need you to help me, since your father isn't here to. Kyle sometimes acts without thinking and he doesn't know his own strength, so I need you to help take care of him. Can you do that for me, Lex?"

"Sure Mom. I'll make sure he doesn't get into trouble."

His mother gently stroked his head. "You're my good boy, Lex."

Kyle was an amazing kid, but even with his strength he was still vulnerable to some childhood illnesses. Lex figured the planet where his brother had come from didn't have immunity to things like the common cold. Maybe that would change later, but he had been a very sick little boy when he'd caught the 'flu a few weeks before the move.

Lex was still curious to know where the spaceship was, but his mother clearly wasn't going to tell him.

The move to Smallville was uneventful, although Tess complained for days. She had made a friend at her new school and now she was forced to leave her friend behind. Luke had only just started elementary school so it was no big deal for him and Kyle wasn't even going to school yet. His best friend was his big brother so he didn't mind as long as Lex let him hang around.

Like all sibling relationships, that was bound to change.

Lillian had decided all four children would go to local schools and had enrolled Tess and Luke at Smallville Elementary, while Lex was at Smallville Middle School. He had been attending Excelsior Preparatory Academy before the 'accident' but Lillian had elected to have him home-schooled while he recuperated.

Smallville Middle School was on the same grounds as the elementary school and just as parochial as Lex had feared. The kids in his class stared at him and whispered behind his back. By the time he'd made it through the first month at school, Lex was sick of the stares and the whispering and curled up in the corner of the school bus, arms crossed, glaring at anyone who dared to look his way. Even Luke and Tess were not spared his ire.

"What are you looking at you little shit?" he said as Lucas turned to look at him one afternoon.

"You said a bad word. I'm so telling Mama."

"Go ahead you little tattletale."

Lucas thrust out his bottom lip and turned away, ignoring him for the rest of the ride home. Lex followed his brother and sister out of the bus and ran up the long driveway to the house, throwing his bag down and running up the stairs to his bedroom.

Kyle was on the floor, playing with Lex's Warrior Angel figures.

"Give those back," he told him. "They're not yours. And who said you could come up to my room."

Kyle looked as if he was going to cry. Lex snatched the Warrior Angel figure out of the brunet's hand.

"I said give it back you little freak."

"I'm gonna tell Momma you were mean to me!"

"You're not supposed to be in here when I'm at school." Kyle tried to snatch the figure back.

"Give it!"

"No, get your own you little retard."

"Don't call me a retard, stupidhead."

Lex almost laughed. Kyle probably didn't even know what those words meant, but he'd probably heard it in kindergarten.

"Freak!"

"Smellyhead."

"That the best you got?" Lex taunted.

Kyle moved, so fast that Lex was unable to get out of the way, tackling his brother to the floor and reaching for the figure. The two wrestled on the floor, yelling insults at each other. Jesus, the kid was strong, Lex thought as he struggled, rolling onto the toys.

"**What** is going on here?"

Lex looked up at his mother, her blue eyes flashing with anger. Kyle immediately got to his feet and ran to her, hiding behind her skirt-covered legs.

"Lex is being mean to me."

"He ..." Lex began, but the sharp look from his mother's face shut him up.

"Downstairs! Both of you!"

Swallowing hard, Lex followed her down the stairs and into the study.

"Sit down on that couch," she directed, standing in front of them with her arms folded.

Kyle crawled up onto one side and Lex sat on the other. His brother looked at him and tried to move closer. Lex sent him a glare and he shrank in the corner.

"Now, let's hear it."

Both Lex and Kyle began talking at the same time and she raised her hands.

"One at a time!"

"Lex won't let me play with his toys," Kyle said with a pout.

Lillian looked at her eldest son. "They're not toys, they're action figures. And he's not supposed to be in my room when I'm at school."

"Why were you in Lex's room?" Lillian asked Kyle. "I've told you before you're not to go in there."

"But, I ..." Kyle said miserably. Lex turned and poked his tongue out at his brother. Kyle tried the same thing.

"That's enough!" Lillian said. "Don't make me get out the mustard."

Gulp, Lex thought. Trying to teach him a lesson about how to behave in public, his mother had threatened to coat his tongue with hot mustard if he poked it out one more time.

"Sorry, Mom."

Lillian shook her head, then sent Kyle to the kitchen for his afternoon snack before sitting down next to Lex. She sighed. "You two seem to have been fighting a lot lately."

"All siblings fight from time to time, Mom."

"I'm aware of that, Alexander, but I really wish you wouldn't. You know how hard it has been for me since your father died. I really need you to be the more mature one. Sweetheart, I know it makes you mad sometimes when Kyle goes into your room without asking, but you know he looks up to you. I think the two of you have been close since he found you unconscious in the field."

"I know, Mom, I'm sorry, it's just ... I don't like him playing with my Warrior Angel stuff. He's not always careful."

She stroked his head. Normally Lex didn't like being touched on his bald head, since it was extra sensitive, but she was always gentle.

"Then you need to help him learn, sweetheart. Okay?" She pulled him into her arms, planting a kiss on his forehead, hugging him tightly.

"Moom," he protested, laughing, "I'm not a baby anymore."

"You'll always be my baby," she chuckled, "whether you like it or not."

Life slowly settled down in Smallville. Lex managed to befriend Sam Ross, whose youngest brother, Pete was in kindergarten with Kyle. Still, Lex was restless and bored at school, finding the subjects too easy for him. Even his teacher, in a parent-teacher conference with his mother, told her that the curriculum just wasn't challenging enough for him.

Kyle, meanwhile, was loving being able to go to school just like his big brothers and sister. During recess, he would make his way over to the middle school playground, looking for Lex, followed by Pete.

Lex and Sam were playing hoops in the courtyard when they heard yelling from the other side of the playground.

"Give it back!" Kyle was shouting.

"It's mine now," a bigger kid was smirking. Pete was crying.

Sam looked at Lex and the pair of them dashed over.

"Kyle?"

The five-year-old looked at Lex, then pointed to the bully, who was big and burly and clearly thought no one was a match for him. Lex recognised him as a boy in third grade.

"He took Pete's car," Kyle accused.

"Give it back, Whitney," Lex told him firmly.

"You can't make me, freak!" the blonde smirked.

"Don't call my brother a freak!" Kyle shouted, shoving the bully before Lex could stop him. The shove was so hard he sent the bully flying, making him hit the fence, which collapsed underneath him.

Crap, Lex thought as a teacher came running out. The boy was taken to the school nurse and Lex, Sam, Pete and Kyle were sent to the principal's office. They were made to wait outside while their parents were called.

Lillian showed up twenty minutes later and the boys were called in to the office.

"Right. Someone care to explain to me what happened?" the principal asked.

Lex had clearly been elected spokesman and he nodded.

"Yes sir. My brother says the boy stole a toy car and wouldn't give it back. I don't know how he ended up in the fence sir."

The man sighed. "Mrs Luthor, we've had problems with this boy before, but I can't have children fighting in the playground."

"I understand that,' she said, smoothing Kyle's hair, "but really, to accuse my little boy of beating another boy. Kyle's only little. Do you really think him capable of such a thing?"

Kyle had his thumb in his mouth, a sure sign he was upset, Lex thought.

"That's what puzzles me, Mrs Luthor."

"Perhaps the other boy tripped when Kyle tried to push him," she suggested calmly.

"Yes, perhaps you're right, but I do think it would be best if you take your sons home and have a long talk with them about dealing with bullies."

Lex was glad to get out of there, relieved they had managed to dodge the bullet on that one. Although judging from the look on his mother's face, it wasn't over yet.

Lillian led them to the study as soon as they got home. She sat down on the couch, patting the seat beside her.

"Lex, come sit down. Kyle, come here baby," she said, holding out her arms. Lex sat beside her. "All right, what really happened?"

Kyle began to cry, his words coming out in a rush. "He was being mean and he took Pete's car and he wouldn't give it back and then he called Lex a fr-fr-freak and I pushed him. I didn't mean to hurt him, I'm sorry Momma."

"Shh," she said, stroking the back of his head. "I know you didn't mean to hurt him sweetheart. It's all right. Come on, stop crying, be my brave boy."

Kyle hiccoughed and sniffed audibly, wiping his nose with his sleeve. Lex snickered, knowing how much his mother hated it when they did that, but she said nothing.

"Baby, I think you're old enough now to know a few things. You're a lot stronger than other kids and you need to learn to control your strength. Do you think you can help him, Lex?"

Lex nodded. "Yes Mom, I'll help any way I can."

"Good," she smiled. "I'm sure between the three of us we can learn to manage it."

She stroked Kyle's face, brushing away his tears. "Why don't you go to the kitchen and see cook," she suggested gently. "I'm sure she's got cookies and milk all ready for you."

Kyle nodded, wrapping his little arms around her neck. "I love you Momma."

"Oh baby, I love you too," she said.

Kyle ran out, looking much happier. Lillian looked at her eldest son.

"Thank you, Lex. I know how hard it is for you. You're a lot smarter than other kids your age, but I really need you to be patient darling. I need you to keep an eye on him for me."

"How come we don't tell Tess and Lucas?" he asked. "Maybe they can help."

"When they're a little older, we will tell them the truth, sweetheart. I promise."

Lex would remember that promise years later when he was accepted into college at sixteen. His test scores in high school meant he was offered early admission to Princeton, as well as Harvard and Yale.

"Princeton?" Tess exclaimed. "Why would they want a freak like you?" she asked, grinning at him as they sprawled on the floor of the entertainment room.

"Ha ha, funny, Tess."

"I thought it was," the redhead grinned. She looked up as Kyle and Lucas came in. Lucas was carrying a tray full of snacks for their usual movie night. "Hey, where's my chocolate and peanut butter popcorn?"

"Eww, gross," Kyle said, screwing up his nose.

"You like peanut butter," Lex said, taking the drinks from the tray before the eleven-year-old could spill it.

"On sandwiches, not on popcorn. I like mine with butter," he said, licking his lips.

"You'll get fat," Tess told him.

"No I won't," he retorted. "You will if you keep eating chocolate and peanut butter on it. Then Billy Kramer won't go out with you anymore."

"Shut up you little monster," she told him. "Anyway, how do you know about me and Billy Kramer?"

"I saw you and him making out behind the Talon," Kyle smirked. "Tess and Billy up in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Shut up or I'm telling Mom how you cheated on that maths test," Tess returned.

"Yeah, well Mom says you're not supposed to be out after curfew but I saw you sneaking in last night after midnight," Lucas told her.

She looked at him incredulously. "Hey! You're supposed to be on my side."

"Since when?" he asked.

"Children, children, can we all just quiet down and put in the movie?" Lex said.

Tess turned, staring at him, then grabbed a pillow and began pummelling him with it. Lucas and Kyle looked at each other and shrugged, then joined in the fracas until all four of them were snorting with laughter.

Kyle sat up, holding his stomach. He grabbed his glass of soda and did something with it so it looked like he was snorting the soda out of his nose.

"God Kyle, that's disgusting," Tess snorted.

Lucas decided to go one better and drank half of his soda in one gulp, then let out a very long belch that seemed to echo around the room.

"Correction," Lex said, "that was disgusting."

"Like you haven't done it," Lucas smirked. "I heard about the belching contest you and Sam had with some of the guys in your class."

"That was three years ago, Luke. I'm older and wiser."

"You're still a freak," Tess said.

"Look who's talking, funny face."

Tess made what Lex would call her 'bitch-face' and he poked his tongue out at her. Hell, he might be sixteen, and about to go to college, but he was still a kid.

He was packing for Princeton when Kyle came in and sat on the bed with a heavy sigh.

"What's up?"

"Why do you have to go away?" his brother asked.

"You know why."

"C'mon, Lex, who's going to help me if I, you know, get even weirder?"

Lex frowned. "Who says you're weird?"

"Just some kids at school."

"You are not weird."

"Yeah? Remember that time Lucas and I were playing tag and I started to run and ran so fast I went clear across the county and got lost in Palmer Woods?"

Lex nodded. They'd had to tell Lucas part of the truth, but hadn't told him everything. Lucas had been a little resentful of the fact that Kyle had such remarkable abilities but once Lex had stressed how important it was to keep those abilities a secret, he had been more understanding.

"You were pretty scared," Lex said

"I was lost all night, Lex. And Mom had to call out Sheriff Ethan and Mr Kent ..." He trailed off.

The Kents had an organic beef farm on the other side of town. Lillian had become close friends with Martha Kent after they'd met at the Farmers' Market when Kyle was still in kindergarten. Lillian had helped the couple adopt a son, who they called Clark.

Lex sat on the bed next to him. "I know, Kyle, but I'll still be home in the holidays. Princeton isn't that far."

"It's over a thousand miles, Lex."

"Lucas and Tess will still be here. Tess still has two years of high school, unless she gets early admission like I did."

"They don't understand like you do."

That wasn't strictly true. It was just that they didn't know everything. Lex sighed and got up.

"Come on," he said.

"What?"

Lex led the way downstairs, searching for his mother.

"Mom?"

The housekeeper, Mrs Palmer, heard him calling.

"Your mother's in the greenhouse, Lex."

"Thank you." Lex found his way to the greenhouse where his mother was tending to the plants. "Mom, I think we need a family meeting."

Lillian frowned at him. "What for?" she asked.

"Kyle doesn't want me to go to college. He thinks Tess and Lucas won't be there for him like I am." He gazed pointedly at his mother.

"Oh," she said. "Of course." She put down the small trowel and took off her gardening gloves.

The trio trooped out, running into the housekeeper.

"Mrs Palmer, would you please find Tess and Lucas and ask them to come to the study?"

"Of course Mrs Luthor."

A few minutes later the family were seated in the study. Kyle was looking at his mother and his siblings, a frown on his face.

"Mom?" Lucas asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, sweetheart. Lex just felt we needed to have a talk before he leaves for Princeton."

"What about?" Tess asked curiously.

"Look, I know you've both been curious about Kyle. It's difficult to live together and not notice he's different."

"Different how?" Lucas asked. "I mean, yeah, he's stronger and faster but he's just a freak, right?"

"It's more than that," Lex said. "We're not exactly sure why it happened, but, look, this information cannot leave this room, do you understand? If anyone was to find out about this, the government could very likely come and take Kyle away to be studied."

"No!" Tess said, putting a hand on Kyle's arm. "I'd never let that happen."

"Good, I'm glad for that."

"Why would they be interested in me?" Kyle asked.

"I'm glad you asked that, Kyle," Lex said. "Do you remember us telling you about the meteor shower?"

Kyle nodded.

"Something else came down with the meteors," Lillian said, sitting down next to Kyle. He turned and looked at her, his eyes wide.

"What do you mean?"

"Kyle, you came to us in a spaceship."

He stood up abruptly. "What? That's not possible."

"Baby, calm down."

"This is stupid! I'm not ... I'm not an ..." He snickered. "If I'm an alien then where's my spaceship?"

Lex looked at his mother. "Uh, Mom, where is it, exactly?"

"Come with me, all of you," she said, leading the way out of the study and to the door leading to the wine cellar. They followed her through the cellar and out through another door to a room that had clearly not been used in years. In the corner, underneath a thick sheet of canvas was an oddly shaped object.

Lex removed the canvas and stared at the little pod. The metal was smooth and cool to the touch. Tess stared at it in wonder.

"It's so tiny," she said. "I can't believe Kyle was ever this small."

Lucas was also running his hand over the metal. He frowned.

"Hey Mom, what's this indentation?" He pointed to an octagonal shape.

"I've no idea," she said. "The ship hasn't been touched since we moved here and believe me it was difficult enough getting it here without the movers asking too many questions. I had to tell them your father had been building an experimental model that he never had a chance to finish."

There was a whimper and Lex turned to look at his youngest brother.

"Kyle? You okay?"

"I ... This is unbelievable."

"Sweetheart, I know you're upset, but ..." Lillian began, trying to soothe him.

Kyle shook his head. "It's not fair! Why does this stuff have to happen to me? Now I'll never be normal."

He turned and it seemed he disappeared as he was there one second and gone the next.

"Kyle!" Lex called.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Mommy?"

"In here sweetie."

Ella Lane was busy packing clothes into a suitcase. They were on the move again, the third time in as many years. She understood it was part of her husband's job, but she wished they could stay in one place for a little longer than a year.

Two-year-old Lois toddled in, sucking her thumb.

"Don't suck your thumb darling," Ella told her, picking her up and depositing her on the bed.

"What're you doing Mommy?" Lois asked.

"Packing darling."

"Why?"

"Because Daddy's moving us to another base."

"Why?"

Oh lord, Ella thought. With Lois lately it had been 'why this' and 'why that'. She could understand her eldest daughter's curiosity, but sometimes she just didn't have answers.

The baby in the crib began crying and Lois scowled. She had been jealous of baby Lucy from the moment her sister had been born. Ella had done her best to ensure that Lois didn't feel left out, especially when she was taking care of Lucy, but all her parenting books told her was that it was only natural for Lois to feel a little neglected. Lois was too young to understand that babies were a lot of work.

Just as she picked up the baby, she heard the front door being closed and a man's deep voice called.

"Where's my little soldier?" he asked.

Lois sprang up from where she had been sitting and jumped down, running out.

"Daddy!" she squealed.

"How's my little Lo," he laughed. She'd clearly jumped into his arms. Ella could hear her daughter's giggles.

Sam carried his daughter into the bedroom, watching as his wife changed the baby's diaper. She'd clearly been in the middle of packing. He hated uprooting his family sometimes, but he'd signed up for this and Ella had when she had decided to marry him.

"Hi sweetheart," he said.

"Colonel," she said, with a teasing glint in her eyes. He grinned. She usually only called him 'Colonel' when he was in trouble or when she wanted to tease him.

"Why don't I get one of the boys to babysit the girls tonight," he suggested, "and I take you out for a nice dinner?"

Ella grinned at him. "Why, Colonel Lane, you wouldn't be planning on seducing little ol' me, now would you?"

"Better believe it," he told her.

He loved these little moments between them. He spent far too much time working and not enough time at home, so the little moments were rare. Sam glanced down at his eldest daughter in his arms. She was his little soldier, while six-month-old Lucy was his little princess, and he adored them both. He hoped that one day his girls would grow up to be just as beautiful and strong as his Ella.

The move was accomplished quickly, but no sooner had they settled in to the new base than Sam was called away on assignment. Ella hadn't been happy about it, but her time was taken up with the two children, so she hadn't said a word. It wasn't until after he returned that she expressed her disappointment.

"What do you want me to do, Ella?" he asked. "You knew what you were in for when you married me. I'm a soldier. This is what I do."

"I still wish you could be there for us. Lucy cut two teeth while you were gone. She cried all night and Lois wasn't any better."

"What was wrong with my little Lo?" he asked.

"She's jealous, Sam. She feels left out because she thinks I pay more attention to Lucy than I do her. She's in her room right now, sulking."

"I'll talk to her," he promised, but Ella's expression suggested that his promises were worth little to her. "Ella," he said gently, "I'm sorry. I know how difficult it is."

"How can you?" she said, sniffing audibly. "You're never here. You weren't here when Lois cut her first tooth. You weren't here for her first steps, and you probably won't be for Lucy's. "

Sam wanted to deny that, tell his wife that he would never want to miss his children's milestones, but she was right. He had missed a lot of Lois' and as much as he regretted it, there was little he could do about it. He had to go where he was assigned, as much as it tore him apart to not be with his family for those little moments that were precious not only to his beloved wife, but to him as well.

He left his wife to cook dinner, or at least burn it. Ella wasn't the best cook, but she tried.

He paused outside a white door decorated with pink flowers. Lois had picked them out when he'd taken her and her mother to the local hardware store so she could at least have something that was hers. Sam knocked softly.

"Go 'way," the little girl called out.

"Aww, what's wrong with my little soldier," he said.

He heard the sound of little feet padding across the floor and the door flew open. His little girl flung herself into his arms.

"Daddy!"

He could see she had been crying. He carried her into the room and sat down on her bed with her.

"What's wrong sweetheart?"

"Nothin'."

"Nothing, huh? So why has my little soldier been crying? You know, soldiers don't cry."

"I hate Lucy," she said. "She always makes Mommy do stuff for her."

"Well, Lucy's only a baby, honey. She doesn't know any better."

"She's stupid."

"Aww, you don't mean that."

"Yes I do. She's stupid and she screams all the time and Mommy won't let me sleep with her."

"Well, Lo, you're a big girl now. That's why you have a big girl bed."

"I don't wanna big girl bed," she sniffled. "I wanna be a baby so Mommy will love me again."

He held her. "Your mommy does love you, sweetheart, but she needs you to help her sometimes."

"Why can't we give Lucy to someone who doesn't have a baby?" she pouted.

Sam laughed, even though it wasn't that funny.

"Because your mommy would be very sad if we did that. She loves you both, honey. You'll see. One day Lucy won't be a baby. She'll just be your little sister and you'll be her hero."

"Like you're a hero, Daddy?"

"Oh, much better than that," he said. He stood up and took her hand. "Now come on. Let's go help Mommy with dinner and afterwards we can play a game. Would you like that?"

"Can we play Snap?" she asked.

"Anything you want."

"Yay!" she said, jumping up.

A year later and Sam was called to Kansas to help organise the clean-up operation of a small town hit by a devastating meteor shower. About a hundred residents were killed and a couple of thousand were injured.

Knowing her husband was going to be in Kansas for at least a week or two, Ella brought the two girls to visit her sister who had been driving through Smallville at the time of the meteor shower. Her little daughter Chloe, who was about seven months younger than Lois, had been in the car with her. Startled by the meteors, Moira had lost control of the car, which had skidded into a ditch and overturned. Moira had been slightly injured, but Chloe had walked away without a scratch.

Moira still had a bruise on her forehead and a cut on her cheek, but no other obvious signs of injury.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Ella asked, wincing at the noise Chloe and Lois were making.

Moira waved her hand. "Let them be," she said, clearly knowing what her sister was thinking. "They seem to be enjoying themselves."

Ella bounced eighteen-month-old Lucy on her knee. The toddler giggled and sucked her thumb, her thick brown curls bouncing with the movement. Moira watched them for a little while, sipping the coffee her husband had made them.

"Is everything okay with you and Sam?" she asked.

"It's fine," Ella said. "Well, okay, not really. I've been getting these sort of spells where I can't breathe, but I'm sure it's nothing."

"You're not still smoking, are you?"

"Uh ..."

Moira looked at her. "Honey, you need to give it up. You know they say that smoking causes all sorts of illnesses."

"I know. It's just ... I wouldn't know what to do with my hands, you know?"

Moira sighed and shook her head. "Thank goodness I never took it up," she said.

Lois and Chloe came running in. Lois was holding something in her hand.

"Mommy, Mommy, look what I found."

Ella looked at Lois opened her hand. She'd found a frog.

"Put him back where you found him, honey," she said.

"But Mommy, can't I keep him?"

"No, baby, you can't. He doesn't belong inside. He needs to go back in the garden."

Moira grinned, knowing Ella had never liked frogs. Lois bit her lip.

"Don't you want to touch him Mommy?" she said.

Ella cringed inwardly. She couldn't exactly tell her daughter that no, she didn't want to touch the frog and she desperately wanted to climb the walls to get away from it.

Suddenly the frog jumped from Lois' hand, onto Lucy. Ella gave a little scream, clutching her daughter. The noise brought Gabe running, who picked up the frog and took it outside, without saying a word to the two women. He then sat the two little girls down and told them why frogs didn't belong indoors. Ella shot her brother-in-law a look when he glanced up and winked at her. Men! she thought. If it had been Sam he would have teased her endlessly.

When Lois was five, the family was based at Fort Dix. Ella's episodes had become worse and she had been sent to see a specialist in New York city. There was no one on base to take care of the two girls so she had to take them with her, leaving them in the playroom while she visited with the specialist, promising them if they were good she would take them for ice cream later.

The news was not good and she was dreading telling Sam, knowing he would take it badly. She had taken Moira's advice and given up smoking, but the damage was already done. She had cancer.

Ella was still considering how to tell her husband as she stood in line at the ice cream parlour. She noticed a redheaded woman with four children. The youngest was a boy with curly black hair and a cute little face. He was staring at Lois in fascination.

"Quit staring," the oldest boy, who appeared to be about ten or eleven said. Ella was taken aback by the boy's striking appearance. He was bald, and she wondered if he was being treated for cancer.

"She's pretty, Lex."

"Nevertheless, it's rude to stare!" The other boy said.

The youngest one continued to watch Lois, who decided to stare back. Ella wanted to admonish her daughter, but she was enjoying the way the two, who appeared to be very close in age, seemed to be eyeing each other.

"Kyle, baby, stop staring."

"She's pretty, Momma, isn't she?"

"Yes, darling, she's very pretty. Now come on, come choose your ice cream."

The mother had obviously said the magic words as Kyle took her hand and followed her. The other children already had their ice creams and were licking them eagerly. Kyle seemed to take a long time to choose what he wanted, but Ella didn't mind as she could watch Lois watching Kyle.

The redhead caught her eye and smiled, glancing down at her son. The assistant was sighing impatiently, which Ella thought was rather rude. Kyle was only a little boy, so it was natural for him to be fascinated with all the flavours and colours.

"Kyle, darling, the man's waiting for you to pick."

"But I like them all, Momma."

The other woman refrained from rolling her eyes but Ella chuckled anyway.

"Oh dear, he'll be forever at this rate," the woman sighed. "I'm Lillian. This is my son Kyle."

"Ella. This is Lois," she said, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "And this is Lucy," she added, squeezing Lucy's hand.

Lois had obviously decided she wasn't waiting any longer and went to join Kyle as he continued to look at the ice-creams. Neither of them were very tall, but if they stretched, they could just see over the top.

"Wow," Lois said. "Look at them all."

"Which one do you like?" Kyle asked.

Lois shrugged. "I dunno. Which one do you like?"

"I like 'em all. I bet I could eat a whole box of 'em."

"You'll get fat," Lois told him. "I once ate a whole lot of ice-cream and I got a tummy ache so bad."

"What's a tummy ache?" he asked.

"You never had one?"

"Huh-uh."

"Well, eat a lot of ice-cream," Lois grinned. She turned back to her mother. "Mommy, can I have chocolate?"

"Yes, baby, you can have chocolate."

"Yay!"

"I want chocolate too," Kyle said. "No, I want, um, what's that one, Momma?" he said, pointing to one with swirls of pink through it.

"That's strawberry."

"Can I have that one?" he asked. "Ooh and chocolate?"

Lillian chuckled, then turned to the man. "Two baby sized scoops," she said. "One chocolate and one strawberry."

"Yes ma'am," the assistant said, grinning finally.

Ella couldn't help but laugh as Kyle and Lois decided once they had their ice-cream cones to have a competition to see who could eat their ice-creams the fastest. Lillian grinned at her as they watched the two children get more ice-cream on their clothes than in their mouths. Lois was groaning by the time she finished, but she clearly won the contest.

"Children," Lillian sighed.

"I know," Ella answered, watching Lucy eat her ice-cream delicately.

The redhead peered at her. "I hope you don't mind my saying so. You don't look well."

Ella nodded. "It's all right. I'm, uh, sick." She glanced at her daughters, then leaned forward. "It's cancer."

"Oh, my dear, I am so sorry."

"I had to come to the city to see the oncologist," Ella admitted.

"I had to bring my son to see a specialist as well," Lillian confided, nodding at Lex. "He, uh, had an accident two years ago and lost all his hair." She sighed. "There's nothing they can do."

"He seems happy enough."

"Well, he's got his brothers and sister to keep his mind off it. He and Kyle are very close."

Ella had noticed the way Lex seemed to be looking after Kal, grabbing a napkin and wiping his face, while the little red-haired girl and the other dark-haired boy just continued eating their ice-creams and chattering to each other.

"You have a beautiful family," Ella told her.

"As do you. Your daughters are lovely. Where are you from?"

"Well, we're living at Fort Dix. My husband's a colonel."

"It must be difficult, especially if he has to go away for peacekeeping duties."

"It is, but we manage. What about you?"

"Well, we're from Kansas. Metropolis, or lately of Smallville. I just moved my children there a few months ago. My husband passed away. Heart attack."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"To tell you the truth, I was a little relieved. Lionel and I did not have the best of marriages. I know it sounds awful, but there were times when I wished I could just take the children and leave."

Ella nodded. She had known others who had stayed in abusive marriages for the sake of their children, but it had just made matters worse.

A year later, Lois stood silently at the graveside, watching as the coffin containing her mother's body was lowered into the grave. Her father stood frozen beside her. Lucy had been left behind at the base, under the watchful eye of one of the soldiers under her father's command.

She hadn't gone to visit her mother in the hospital and had never said goodbye. It hurt too much. Now all she wanted to do was cry and rage at the injustice of it all. How could her mother leave like that, she thought.

When her father returned to the base, he got down to her level.

"Lois, I need you to look out for Lucy now, okay? I need you to be my little soldier, can you do that?"

She nodded. "I can do that, Daddy."

"I know you can. From now on, we execute the chain of command. If I give an order, you have to follow it, just like all my other soldiers."

"Yes Daddy."

Looking back years later, Lois would realise that her father was just trying to cope the best way he could, but as a teenager she had come to resent the way he'd dealt with the situation. She wasn't a soldier, she was his daughter.

When Lucy was old enough, she was sent away to boarding school, while Lois was dragged around the world, going where her father's duties demanded. By the time she hit high school, she was tired of living out of a suitcase, never staying in one place long enough to make friends. The distance between her and her father had become a yawning chasm.

Her senior year, her father, now a three-star general, was ordered to relocate to Fort Ryan in Kansas. Lucy was at a boarding school in Switzerland and Lois was once again uprooted, right before graduation.

"Not again," she sighed.

"Lo ..."

"I know, Daddy," she said. "I just wish I could have graduated with the rest of my class."

Sam looked at her silently for a few moments.

"You won't be graduating," he told her. "In the fall, you'll be attending Smallville High."

"What? Dad!"

"Lois, you failed the last semester."

"So I skipped a couple of classes," she said.

"Try all of them," he told her. "Don't think I don't know about you and that boy ..."

"Which one?" she asked in a snarky tone.

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady. You have become irresponsible and ..."

"What are you gonna do, boss? Put me in the stockade?"

"Don't tempt me, Lois," he growled. "We are moving to Fort Ryan and you will attend Smallville High."

She rolled her eyes. "Smallville! Sounds like a perfect paradise. I couldn't make that name up."

"It's where your cousin happens to live," Sam pointed out, which she knew already. "You're going because it's the best way to keep you out of trouble."

Lois snorted. As if going to school in Bumfuck Kansas could ever keep her out of trouble.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Kyle had run to the city before, but this was the furthest he had run ever. Panting, he turned around, trying to get his bearings. He was on a beach somewhere, but still had no idea where. Lex and his mom were probably panicking, and he was sure Luke and Tess were worrying too, but he just had to get out of the house. Seeing that ... that thing in the cellar; it was like his entire world had just come crashing down around him.

Okay, so maybe that was a little, more than a little, melodramatic, but this wasn't like the time he'd thrown Whitney through the fence. Hell, the moron had deserved it, he thought, since he'd been picking on both him and Pete since they'd started school.

"Lucy ... don't run away!"

Kyle turned, looking for the source of the voice and saw a girl of about eight or nine and another girl about his age. The younger girl ran up to him as Kyle picked up a flat stone and threw it, trying to skip it over the water but it just hit the water with a splat.

"What'cha doing?" the girl asked.

"Nothin'."

"Lucy ..." The older girl was breathless as she ran up to them. "Sorry," she said.

Kyle shrugged. Whatever. He picked up another stone and threw it, but it just plunged into the waves.

"You're not doing it right," the girl said.

"I s'pose you think you can do better?" he asked, glaring at her.

She looked around and picked up some flat stones, showing them to him.

"See, they gotta be flat."

"I know that!" he snapped.

She looked taken aback. "Don't be such a jerk."

"I didn't ask you to come here and bug me," he told her.

She glared at him. "Fine! Whatever!" She turned away from him toward the water, sweeping her arm, her hand coming up in a sort of flicking motion. The stone flew out of her hand, skipping four times across the waves. Then she turned, looking smugly at him before grabbing Lucy's hand and flouncing off.

Kyle bit his lip.

"Hey, wait!" he said. The older girl looked at him expectantly. "Show me how you do that."

The girl's lips curved in a triumphant smirk, but she came over, picking up the small collection of stones she'd tossed on the sand and handed him one. They stood side by side.

"Okay, you gotta flick it just so," she said, demonstrating with the one in her hand. Kyle tried to follow her movements but his stone still wouldn't do what he wanted.

The girl laughed at him. She had a nice laugh.

"Okay, here, let me help you," she said, picking up another stone and handing it to him. Then she stood behind him and guided him. Kyle watched in wonder as the stone skipped across the waves.

"All right!" he crowed.

They stood together for a while, skipping stones across the water.

Kyle heard the jingle of the ice-cream truck in the parking lot. Lucy, who had been sitting on the sand, looking bored, sprang up.

"Ice cream!"

"Lucy ..." the older girl called as the younger one ran to the truck.

Kyle dug in his jeans and pulled out what was left of his allowance. He had a couple of twenties and a five dollar bill.

"Here," he said. "I'll get some. What flavour do you like?"

"Chocolate," she said.

Kyle grinned. "Okay. Two scoops of chocolate for you. What's your name, by the way?"

"Lois. Lois Lane." She indicated the other girl. "That's my sister, Lucy."

"I'm Kyle. Kyle Luthor."

She grinned. "Great to meet'cha. You better go get that ice cream."

Kyle ran to join Lucy and paid for three cones. Lucy wanted French Vanilla with sprinkles and he got himself a scoop of strawberry and a scoop of chocolate.

Lois took her cone and looked at him with a little frown.

"Chocolate and strawberry?" she said.

"Yeah. So?"

She shrugged. "It's just ... kind of familiar, that's all."

"Oh."

"So, what are you doing out here all by yourself?" she asked. "I mean, where are your parents?"

"My dad's dead," he said with a shrug. "And my mom's ... well, she's at home, with my brothers and sister."

"Yeah, my mom died four years ago. My dad's in the army. He's a general and everything. Lucy goes to this private school, but she's home for the summer."

"My brother's going to Princeton day after tomorrow. He's like, really smart. He got early admission, whatever that means." For Kyle, it just meant Lex was going to go away to school and Kyle would have no one to talk to about anything. Especially all the weird stuff that happened to him.

"So why are you?" Lois asked, slurping her ice cream.

"Why am I what?"

"Out here?"

"Why are you?"

"Don't answer a question with a question!"

"Fine. I just ... ever feel like your life was supposed to be something different?"

"All the time," she sighed. "Especially since my mom died."

"What happened?"

"She had lung cancer. My dad doesn't talk about it much."

"Yeah, my mom's the same with my dad."

"Ever wish you could, I don't know, go back in time and, you know, change things?"

"Yeah," he said, aware of the ice-cream dripping on his hand. He quickly licked it up. "My brother Lex always says that you can't though. Like it creates some sort of paradox or something. I mean, what if you went so far back in time you, like, met your grandmother or something and cause an accident and she gets killed. Does that mean you cease to exist? Then again, how could you go back in time in the first place if that happened?"

Lois looked at him steadily. "You're kind of weird, you know that?"

"Yeah. That's me. Freaky Kyle Luthor."

She nudged him and smiled. "Hey, I didn't say it was a bad weird."

"Thanks. I think."

Lois finished her ice cream and twisted her arm so she could look at her watch.

"Well, I gotta go before the general pitches a fit." She stood, brushing off her jeans. "Come on Lucy. See ya Kyle."

She started to walk away, then turned, twisting her mouth slightly and biting on her lower lip. She returned, digging a hand in her pocket, then scowled.

"Back in a sec," she said. "Stay there, Luce."

Kyle watched, puzzled, as Lois ran to the ice-cream truck and said something to the man. He nodded and handed her something out of Kyle's vision, then stood leaning on the counter for a few seconds before running back to him. She pressed a slip of paper in Kyle's hand. He looked down at it.

"What's that?" he asked.

"My phone number. Just in case you, you know, wanna get some ice cream or something."

With a sly grin, Lois began walking away, leaving Kyle to stare after her. He watched until she disappeared in the distance, then sat on the sand until the sun dipped below the horizon. Turning, he headed home with a sigh.

The housekeeper was just heading to her quarters when she saw him.

"Master Luthor, where have you been? Your mother is worried sick! Your brother has been looking for you for hours."

"I ..." Kyle blushed.

"Well, go on, get inside you naughty boy." She was shaking her head and sighing.

Kyle went into the house, wondering what would be waiting for him. Tess spotted him as she came down the stairs. Her eyes widened and she ran back up the stairs.

"Mom! Kyle's home!"

She turned and descended the stairs again, smirking at him.

"Oooh, you're in so much trouble!" she told him.

"Shut up, Tess."

"Great comeback, freak!" she said, screwing up her nose.

"Don't call me a freak," he yelled at her.

Tess yelled back about how he'd worried their mother practically to death, which was probably just an exaggeration and that she'd had to call in the sheriff.

"That's enough, Lutessa," Lillian said sharply.

Kyle whirled, looking guiltily at his mother. Sheriff Ethan was standing beside her.

"Well, young man? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Mom, I ..."

"Into the study," she said. Kyle hesitated. "Now!"

Kyle swallowed. Yeah, he was in real trouble this time. Lillian looked at Tess.

"Go see if you can find Lex and tell him Kyle's come home."

"Yes'm."

Kyle meekly followed his mother and the sheriff into the study. Ethan looked at him silently, shaking his head.

"Mom, I ... I'm sorry, I ..."

"I don't want to hear it," she said sharply. "Do you know how worried I've been? Four hours Kyle. You are ten years old! Do you know what happens to ten year old boys on the streets?"

"Mom ..."

"I've had the sheriff, and his deputies, not to mention Martha and Jonathan out looking for you. My god, Kyle, you don't even think, do you?"

"Mrs Luthor, I'm sure Kyle didn't mean to upset everyone," Ethan said soothingly. "You know what kids are like."

Kyle couldn't stand the look of condemnation in his mother's eyes and burst into tears. Lillian sighed softly and gathered him in her arms.

"Oh, Kyle, baby, shh, it's all right. I know you were upset but baby you scared the life out of me when you ran away."

He burrowed himself deeper in his mother's embrace, feeling the warmth and comfort of her arms around him. He didn't hear her thanking Ethan but he did hear Jonathan and Martha come in, speaking quietly to her.

"I'm glad he's home safe," Jonathan said. "Will he be okay?"

"He'll be fine," Lillian said, rocking him. Kyle was still crying, although not as much as before. "Although he's grounded for the next month."

Kyle lifted his head and looked at her, wounded. "Grounded?"

"Yes, grounded!"

Kyle stuck out his lower lip in a pout but his mother shook her head. "Don't think that's going to work either, young man! You had us all worried."

Lex came in, breathing a heavy sigh of relief.

"Thank god he came home. Where was he?"

"That's what I've yet to find out. Where did you run off to, Kyle?"

"Um, I don't know. Just the beach."

"The beach where?" his brother frowned.

He shrugged. "I dunno. I met this girl there."

Lex groaned. "Can't take you anywhere, kid. Who's this girl?"

"No one. Lois."

"Oh, Lois, huh?" the older boy said with a grin. "Getting started a little early aren't you, brat?"

Kyle's eyes widened as he stared at his brother. "Eww, no, it's not like that. She's a girl! You know, just a girl."

"That's how they all start," Jonathan grinned at Lex. "Or am I mistaken about you and young Crystal making out at Lone Pine last week? Seems to me you were just a little older than Kyle here when that started," he added, ruffling the younger boy's hair.

Lillian gasped. "Alexander Joseph Luthor!"

"Mom, I'm sixteen!"

"That is not the point, Alexander!"

Lex glared at Jonathan. "Thanks," he said sarcastically.

Jonathan just grinned back at him.

Lillian gently pushed Kyle toward his brother.

"Lex, take Kyle to the kitchen and see if you can get the cook to rustle up something for him, since he missed his dinner. Then you're to go straight up to bed, young man. No tv and no computer games, you hear me? Tomorrow I'll get Mrs Palmer to take both your tv and your computer out of your room."

No computer and no tv? Kyle stared at his mother. That so wasn't fair! She stared back at him, her expression resolute. Her word was law.

He followed Lex reluctantly out to the kitchen. There were clearly leftovers but the cook glared at both of them.

"I am not cooking something up for you, young man," she said. "Do you know you have had everyone worried sick about you?"

Kyle nodded and bowed his head. "Yes'm."

She relented. "I'll heat some soup in the microwave and you can put some bread in the toaster. All right?"

Kyle didn't look at his brother as he sat and ate the soup and toast. It wasn't all that filling but he knew it was pretty much all he was going to get. The cook took his plates and put them in the dishwasher, then pressed a couple of his favourite chocolate chip cookies in his hand.

"Courtesy of Martha Kent," she said, whispering conspiratorially. "And don't you dare say a word to your mother," she told Lex fiercely.

"My lips are sealed," Lex said. "But only if I can have one too."

"Blackmail, huh? All right. You can have one. Now, get out of my kitchen!"

Kyle grinned around his mouthful of cookie and followed his brother to his bedroom. Lex closed the door behind him and made Kyle sit on the bed.

"Kyle, I get that you were upset about the things we told you this afternoon, but you need to know you really worried Mom when you didn't come back. Running away isn't the answer."

"You don't understand Lex."

"Maybe I don't know what it's like to be thrust into space and sent far away from your home, but I do know what it's like to be different. We know it's not easy, especially when you seem to be developing more strength and speed the more you grow, but that's why you need to talk to me or Mom rather than run away."

"I'm sorry, Lex. I just ... I didn't know what to do or say. I mean, all I've ever wanted my whole life is to be normal and now I know I'll never be."

"Well, you know, being 'normal' as you put it, isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Kyle looked up at Lucas in the doorway. His eleven-year-old brother came in and sat on the bed.

"I'm not gonna lecture you," Luke said, putting an arm around him. "You've probably heard it all. So I'm just gonna say that we're all gonna help you as much as we can. You don't have to be alone, okay kid?"

"Stop calling me kid!"

"You are a kid," Lucas grinned, giving him a noogie.

Kyle supposed, years later, that it hadn't been so bad growing up in a town where about twenty percent of the population had ended up being changed somewhat by the meteors. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't come in for his share of problems.

XXXXX

Lex had graduated from Princeton with a double degree in business and biochemistry, wanting to combine the two to build up his own company. He was planning on returning to Smallville after he'd gone with a classmate on a four month trip around Europe to take ownership of the one small part of Luthorcorp that had been left untouched by Lionel's creditors. The fertiliser plant had already been in the final stages of development when Lionel had died and Lillian had managed to keep it operating. For the past four years or so, the plant had been in the red. While Lillian had brought in a new manager from Metropolis a year or so ago to try and turn the plant around, he had been hampered by workers who hadn't liked the new management style. Lillian had asked Lex to step in and see what he could do with it.

For herself, Lillian had decided to return to Metropolis, leaving the three boys in the mansion. Tess was at Harvard University, studying for a degree in marine biology. After college, she was planning on moving to either Miami or San Diego to work in one of the research centres there.

Lillian had missed Metropolis society somewhat and she was confident the three boys could fend for themselves. Kyle, at almost fifteen – at least by the birthdate on his adoption certificate - was just starting his freshman year at Smallville High. Lucas was a sophomore and the fifteen year old was extremely popular. The teenage girls appeared to love his dark looks. Next to him, Kyle felt like a bumbling nerd.

Kyle woke on a sunny day in October, desperately wishing it was still summer. He rolled over in bed when the alarm clock went off and reached out to smack the sleep button, ending up smashing it.

"Great," he muttered, yawning. He rolled over and dozed off again.

He woke again a short time later, looked at the clock and realised it was broken.

"Shit!"

He sprang out of bed and into the shower in his private bathroom, quickly washing himself in the shower and brushing his teeth, then dressed at super speed and grabbed his backpack.

Cook was already cleaning the kitchen.

"You're late," she admonished him. "You've just missed the bus."

"Why can't I get a car?" he muttered, passing Mrs Palmer on his way out the door.

"Now you know you can't drive without an adult with you," she told him, grinning.

Kyle grumbled, racing down the drive. He waited until he was out of sight of the housekeeper, then took off at speed, leaping over the bus as it passed a cornfield and through the school gate. He had beaten the bus by about a minute. Lucas stepped down, grinning at him.

"Late again? You broke your alarm clock, didn't you?"

Kyle snorted at his brother, who ignored him and went to find his latest flavour of the month. Pete was next to step off the bus with a petite blonde.

Chloe Sullivan was the editor of the school paper, the Torch, a position which she had begged Principal Kwan for over older students, citing various employment laws. The principal had been amused at Chloe's arguments about fairness and equality and had eventually told her he'd given her the job because out of all the students, she was the most qualified.

Chloe's father, Gabe, was currently managing, or at least doing his best to manage, the fertiliser plant. From what Kyle had heard, Gabe was good at his job, but he was fighting against workers who were either lazy or incompetent. Kyle hoped when Lex returned to Smallville that the situation would change.

Pete began talking about joining the football team so he could get out of being this year's scarecrow, a hazing ritual which dated back several years. Chloe, of course, decided to write an article on hazing and how it led to bullying but Kyle had already lost interest, spying Lana Lang. The young brunette freshman was the prettiest girl on campus, but she had a boyfriend. As soon as Kyle neared her, he began to feel nauseated and his legs wobbled and collapsed under him.

Lana, of course, was concerned, until Whitney stepped up beside her. Kyle glared at the annoying blonde, fuming silently as he watched Lana walk away.

As he gathered his books and started to get up, he heard his phone beep and pulled his backpack around to grab it from the pocket.

_Hey Smallville. _

Kyle grinned at the text. Lois. They'd been emailing back and forth for the past four years. Lois had been living at an army training facility in Delaware when they were both ten. Lois had of course been curious when she'd learned he actually lived in Smallville, which was hundreds of miles from Delaware, but Kyle had covered himself by telling her that the family had been staying at the beach for a few days until Lex had to go to Princeton. She'd bought it, well, mostly, he thought.

_Hey Lo. How's the desert?_

Her father had recently moved them to Fort Irwin in the Mojave Desert. Lucy was in boarding school in Switzerland.

_It sucks_, came the reply. I_t's six freakin' am and I got woken up by the damn bugler playing the worst rendition of Reveille I've ever heard. I swear I'm going to shove that bugle right where the sun don't shine!_

_Bet you would_, he replied. _Gotta go. First period bell just went._

_TTYL. Have a good day at school freaky. Try not to moon too much over LL._

I do not moon over Lana, he thought furiously as he followed the other students into school.

XXXXX

Lex drove into the parking lot of the fertiliser plant and got out, looking around. Cornfields, he sighed. He walked into the plant, looking around for the manager. He saw a dark-haired man with his back turned.

"Better be on the lookout for Luthor junior," the man was telling the two workers who were just standing around and definitely not working. "I hear you can't miss him."

Lex coughed politely. The man turned, startled.

"Uh, Mr Luthor."

"You would be Mr Sullivan?" Since Lex had been away at college, he'd never actually met the father of Kyle's best friend.

"Yes, sir."

"It's Lex," he said. "Let's walk. I want you to show me around the plant."

Gabe began walking with him. "Uh, so what did you want to see?"

"I understand you've been having some problems with the workers?"

"Yeah. There are a few who seriously need a wake-up call."

"Why don't you put together some notes?"

"I already have," Chloe's father told him.

"Good. I think we can weed out the trouble-makers. This plant should be making a fairly decent profit and instead it's been running in the red. Now I'm not here to usurp your position, Gabe. My mom asked me to step in and see what we could do to get this plant running in the black again. I've read your personnel file and I know you're a capable manager, except in one area. You're not here to be their friend, Gabe. You're here to be their boss."

"I'm aware of that, Mr Luthor ..."

"Gabe, I already told you, it's Lex. Considering how much time your daughter spends over at the mansion, getting my brother into various scrapes, I think that makes us practically family, don't you?"

Gabe grinned. "You know Chloe."

Lex nodded. He did. They continued with the tour. Lex could already see some areas where there needed to be some improvements, and culling of staff. The last thing he wanted to do was put people out of a job, but the men needed to pull their weight if the plant was to turn itself around.

He left later that afternoon to head back to the mansion, driving the silver Porsche his mother had given him for his twenty-first birthday. They weren't billionaires, but they were still considerably wealthy. Well, rich enough for him to own a Porsche, he thought, picking up his phone to check a text message from his mother.

He didn't see the roll of baling wire on the road until it was too late, frantically twisting the steering wheel to try to avoid it. The car fishtailed out of control, heading for the bridge rail, and Kyle! Lex panicked, feeling a blow to his head on impact.

The next thing he knew he was coughing up river water and looking up into the green eyes of his brother.

"Lex?"

"Kyle, what the hell?"

"You hit me. I don't even know how I'm not dead."

"Good thing you're not or else we'd both be fish food," he said, trying to sit up. His head swam.

"Take it easy. You nearly drowned. Well, you did actually. I brought you back."

Lex grinned at his younger brother. "Well, nice to know your freakiness is good for something."

"Jerk!" Kyle smiled.

A voice called from the road. "You guys all right?"

"Yeah, we're okay," Kyle called back.

The man slipped down the bank. "Man, I'm so sorry," he said. "I thought that wire was secured."

Kyle stared at him. "You mean that was your ... why didn't you check it was secured properly? My brother could have been killed!"

"Kyle, leave it. It was an accident," Lex said. He'd been driving too fast and had been distracted by the text message. He was just as much at fault as the truck driver.

"He shouldn't ..."

"Kyle, drop it! I'm fine."

His brother bit his lip, but nodded.

The sheriff arrived, along with the ambulance. Lex was checked over and judged to be fine. Ethan told him he'd got off extremely lucky.

"You boys all right?" Jonathan Kent asked. He'd been passing on his way back from the feed store.

Lex nodded. "We're fine," he said. "We're a little wet, but other than that ..."

Jonathan just grinned at him. "You two just can't seem to keep out of trouble, can you?"

Lex sent him an innocent look, which made the older man laugh. He looked at the sheriff.

"Ethan, if you're done with the boys, I think they could both use some of Martha's hot cocoa. I have something I wanted to talk to Lex about, so it's just as good a time as any."

"Sure Jonathan."

Lex let the older man help him up the bank, glancing back as the car was pulled out of the water. It was a good thing it wasn't a new Porsche, he thought, although he still hated to lose it.

"Mom's gonna have a bird," Kyle muttered.

Lex stared at his brother, but didn't comment. He was quiet as Jonathan drove them to the Kent Farm.

"I'll get Lucas to come pick you up," he said. He studied Lex, his expression full of concern. "You sure you're all right, Lex? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine. Nothing a good night's sleep won't cure. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I think that can wait until we get you some dry clothes and some good food into you. You look as if you haven't been eating right since I saw you last."

"I've been in Europe," Lex said. "Travelling."

"Well, knowing Martha, she'll wanna fatten you up."

That sounded like Martha, Lex thought with a grin. His head was aching a little, but he was sure it would ease in no time.

Jonathan was right. As soon as they entered the farmhouse, Martha fussed over them.

"Your mother called, by the way," she said as she served them their cocoa. "She heard what happened from Ethan."

"Oh god," Kyle groaned. "Now we're really in for it."

The redhead grinned. "I don't know what it is with you boys, but trouble seems to just follow you around."

"It's not like we actually try to find it," Kyle grumbled.

"No, of course not," she said. "We did promise your mother we'd keep a closer eye on you though."

Lex just smiled at the older couple and sipped his cocoa. He was wearing one of Jonathan's old shirts and a pair of old jeans. His other clothes were beyond salvage.

"So, Lex, I was thinking about that proposal for the co-operative you were talking about before you left Princeton. How do you see it working?"

Kyle grew bored with the conversation, wandering outside to the barn. Clark was shooting hoops.

"Ever want a brother to help you with your jump shot?" Kyle asked.

Clark looked around and grinned.

"I think I've done pretty well on my own," he said.

"Yeah? How about putting your money where your mouth is, Kent?" Kyle said, grinning at the eleven-year-old.

Clark tossed him the basketball.

"Name your terms, Luthor!"

Life returned to pretty much normal, or as normal as it could get, Kyle thought, considering how many meteor freaks seemed to think his brother had a bullseye painted in the middle of his forehead. It seemed like every week Lex was attacked by one or another. There was Jeff, who had found a way to turn himself invisible and had decided to target Lex for spurning his sister Amy. Then, less than a year later was the black widow who used her own meteor-induced pheromones to seduce Lex into marrying her.

Kyle had his own troubles when he decided to buy a class ring which turned out to be made from red meteor rock. Instead of making him sick, it made him lose all his inhibitions. Kyle, with his new attitude, decided to go after Lana, who was single again after Whitney had decided to join the marines. There was also a new girl in town. Jessie. She was apparently under federal protection.

Kyle had 'borrowed' Lex's Ferrari to take Lana out and had decided to go to the Wild Coyote. He had been pleased to see Jessie show up at the bar, but Lana had not been impressed. Shrugging off the girl's annoyance, Kyle had started a fight in the bar, then took off with Jessie.

He stopped the car at Lone Pine, otherwise known as Make Out Point, and pulled Jessie to him. Jessie was more than willing as he kissed her, thrusting his tongue practically down her throat. Kyle hadn't kissed too many girls before her, but she didn't seem to care.

He stripped her jacket off, cupping her breasts and squeezing slightly. Jessie moaned in response. Kyle continued kissing her until Jessie paused for breath. She crawled into his lap and smirked down at him.

"You know, you can do more than just feel me up," she said.

"Yeah? Like what?"

Her hand cupped him. "Bet I know what Kyle junior would like," she said suggestively.

"Then why don't you put your money where your mouth is," he said. "Or rather, put your mouth ..."

She needed no further prompting. Kyle sat back as she bent. He pushed her hair back, thrusting his hips up. Jessie choked a little but still continued on.

He was so close to coming he didn't notice the lights until they shone directly through the windscreen. Jessie stopped and lifted her head, blinking in the brightness.

"Kyle?"

He rolled his eyes, glaring up at his brother as Lex appeared. Lucas stood by the passenger door, looking embarrassed. Kyle just continued to glare.

"Jesus, Kyle. Put yourself away!"

"Whatever," he said, tucking himself back into his pants with difficulty.

Lex tossed Lucas the keys to the other vehicle and held the Ferrari door open for Jessie.

"Lucas, why don't you take, uh, Jessie, is it?" She nodded. "Take Jessie home. We'll meet you there."

Kyle sighed as Lex opened the other door.

"Move over, Kyle."

Reluctantly, Kyle did so, sitting sullenly in the passenger seat as Lex drove back to the mansion. He was forced to follow his brother into the study.

"I don't know what the hell has gotten into you, but this stops now! My god, Kyle, you're too young to be pulling stunts like this!"

"Stunts like what? Having a girl go down on me?"

"You're sixteen, Kyle."

"So? You were my age when you were doing stuff with girls."

"That's not the point!"

"You're such a hypocrite, Lex."

"You know, you've been nothing but a little prick the past couple of days Kyle, and I've had enough. Don't make me call Mom."

Kyle snorted. "Yeah, like you would!"

"Don't test me!" Lex snapped.

"Fine. Call her. I don't care. I won't be here anyway!" He turned and started to walk away.

"Kyle, you little shit! Come back here!"

"You can't make me!"

Suddenly he stumbled, feeling nauseous. Lucas stood in the doorway, holding a chunk of green meteor rock. Kyle retched. He felt arms grab him in a bear hug and he struggled weakly as both brothers grabbed the class ring and pulled it off.

"We figured it out," Lucas told him smugly. "Ever since you put that ring on you've been acting like a jerk."

Kyle just lay on the rug, panting. The attitude was gone, leaving in its place a general feeling of depression. Lucas tossed the meteor rock to Lex, who put it in the lead box their mother had told him was made from the armour of St George. Okay, so it was just a story, but Lex had always thought it was kind of cool.

Ashamed, Kyle looked up at his brother.

"Lex, I ... I'm sorry."

Lex shook his head. "Sorry doesn't cut it. Go to bed, Kyle, and be grateful I don't tell Mom about this. Because trust me, next time you decide to steal one of my cars, I won't use my GPS, I'll just send Ethan after you and I'll leave you in the cells. Got that?"

Kyle bit his lip. He guessed it would be a long time before his brother would forget this little incident.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"L-U-T-H-O-R! How the hell should I know? Do they even have addresses in Bumfuck, Kansas?" Lois cradled the phone against her neck, grabbing her coffee and sipping it, grimacing at the cold beverage which had tasted just as bad when it was hot. "All right! No need to get tetchy! Look, the last guy said to turn off on Route 90. I did that and now I have no idea where I am. Don't you guys have a ..."

Lightning flashed, hitting something a few feet away and Lois screamed, dropping the phone as if she'd had an electric shock. Disoriented, she grabbed the steering wheel, wrenching it. The tyres skidded on something and sent her careering off the road into a field of corn before stopping with a rattle of the engine.

Lois stared out into the darkness, wondering why on Earth she'd picked this particular night to come out to Smallville to talk to a guy she'd been texting and emailing for the past seven years when she could have just sent him another email. Although, she thought, it probably would have gone unanswered, like the first dozen she'd sent over the summer. Jerk! she thought.

As she looked out at the ring of fire caused by lightning striking the ground, she realised there was a man standing in the middle of it. Butt naked! She got out of the car, approaching him cautiously.

"Um, are you okay?" she called.

"I am fine," he answered back.

She frowned, glancing around at the flattened stalks of barbecued corn.

"Uh, you're standing butt naked in the middle of a cornfield and you've been struck by lightning. You have a weird definition of fine."

He turned, his face still silhouetted in darkness. Her gaze travelled down to check out his muscular body to his groin.

"Look at his face," she told herself, snapping her gaze up to look directly at him. She still couldn't quite make out his features. "Um, I'm just going to get a blanket from the car," she told him, turning to do just that.

"Wait," he replied, stepping forward, so his face was lit up. "Who are you?"

She gasped. She knew that face.

"Kyle?"

XXXXX

"Mom, I'm going to give you the same answer I've been giving you for the last two and a half months. I don't know where he is."

"Lex, honey, surely ..."

"What do you want me to do? Tag him like Jonathan does with his cattle?"

"Of course not, baby, don't be silly."

"I wish I knew where he was, but all I can tell you is I'm pretty sure his biological father's got something to do with it."

Lex glanced up as the party approached the temple.

"Mom, I have to go. We're about to make the find of the century."

"Lex, I hope you're being careful. You know if Morgan ..."

"Morgan Edge is in jail, Mom, and he's going to stay there."

"You know what these people are like, sweetie."

"Mom, I really have to hang up now. I'm about to lose the signal."

"All right, baby, but call me the minute you get home."

"Sure Mom. Love you."

"I love you too honey."

Lex wiped sweat from his brow as he hung up the phone. The guide looked at him, speaking in a thick accent.

"Your family is very close, yes?"

"Yes," Lex nodded.

"But you have difficulties?"

"My brother has been missing for the past couple of months."

"Ahh," the man nodded, babbling on about wayward children. The problem was Kyle wasn't a child. He would be eighteen in October. At least, by Lex's imagining, since they didn't really know how old he was. Kryptonian time was measured differently to that of Earth's.

He sighed as he followed the two guides inside the temple, almost dizzy with the cloying heat. There was a reason he'd never wanted to travel Egypt, and it wasn't just about the scorpions. Still, this was important.

It had occurred completely by accident. Lex had idly been doing some research into what Kyle and Chloe would call the 'strange and unexplained' and had come across a blog written by an Egyptian national. At first it had been a diatribe on the desecration of various temples, but an article had focused on a particular temple with strange markings that bore very little resemblance to hieroglyphics. His curiosity piqued, Lex had begun digging even more, finding images which suggested the markings might be Kryptonian in origin.

Lex thought about how that information had come to light. Not long after Kyle had stolen his Ferrari, Lex's baby brother had been out dirt-biking with Pete when his bike had hit what they'd initially thought had been a tree root but turned out to be an airhole for an ancient cave. Kyle had begun exploring the caves, and found pictographs on the walls made by the local Kawatche tribe. Lex had helped his brother with his research by hiring a linguist, Frederick Walden to try and make some sense of them. It wasn't the first time the brothers had worked together to try to unlock the secrets to Kyle's heritage. A year or so earlier, Lex had hired a man who had been collecting meteor rocks for years to begin his own research. Dr Steven Hamilton had spent days digging around the site where Kyle's ship had crash-landed twelve years before and had found a disk made of a metal that he'd claimed was unlike anything found on Earth.

The brothers had learned the hard way that a secret that valuable could never be kept under wraps for very long and Dr Hamilton had decided there was money to be made from his discoveries. Never mind the money he was getting from Lex. He'd become so fanatical about the subject, Lex and Kyle had wondered if the man had spent too much time around the meteor rock. It was confirmed when the man began to show signs of illness. Lex had made the decision to send Dr Hamilton to a treatment centre, but he'd died from acute mineral poisoning.

The research had had one major breakthrough, however, with the disk. Kyle had learned where the disk belonged. It was a key to his ship, and the key to him learning about his heritage. Early one morning, Lex had been on his way home from Metropolis, after attending a social function his mother had forced him to attend, when he'd almost literally run over Kyle.

"Kyle, what the hell?"

His brother looked disoriented and confused.

"What are you doing out here? In your pyjamas, no less."

Kyle stared up at him. "I don't know. I was ... dreaming, I guess."

Lex helped his brother up. "Let's get you home. It's cold out here."

Once they were back at the mansion, Lex sat his brother down with a cup of hot cocoa.

"What were you dreaming?"

"You're gonna think I'm crazy."

"Try me."

"I've been having this dream all week where I'm flying over Smallville. I always end up at the cave. It's like it's calling out to me. Like it's trying to give me answers."

"To what?" Lex said, careful not to prod too much in case Kyle shut down. Ever since he had learned the truth about the ship and his alien nature, his brother tended to retreat deep within himself. It still bothered Kyle that he was never going to be completely 'normal'.

"I'm not sure, but in my dream I take the key and I put it in the slot in the cave wall, and there's this bright light."

"And?"

"I don't know. That's when I wake up."

Lex knew he would have to handle this delicately.

"Well, maybe you should follow what the dream says," he said.

Kyle sighed. "Why is this happening to me, Lex?"

Lex put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I wish I had an answer for you, Kyle, I really do."

Kyle did put the key in the wall and it downloaded the Kryptonian language into his brain, which led him to create a symbol on one of the walls of the garage. When Chloe, who had come to talk to Kyle about a story they were working on, drove up, she took a photograph of the symbol and printed it in the school paper. That had led to Kyle being contacted by a researcher by the name of Virgil Swann, who claimed to have a message from Kyle's biological parents.

Since then it had been one revelation after another, leaving Lex to wonder if Kyle's people had ever been sane, especially when the avatar of Kyle's father, or whatever it was, claimed Kyle was supposed to leave his family. Lex had learned about that after the fact, or rather, after Kyle had tried to blow up the ship, only to nearly destroy the house in the process. When Lex had yelled at him for his stupidity, Kyle had run away to the city.

Lex had spent thousands of dollars while Lucas had spent hundreds of man hours searching for Kyle and they'd both learned Kyle was living the party lifestyle in the city, out of his mind on Red K. Knowing they wouldn't be able to trick their brother this time around, Lex had first tried the now silent ship, then the caves. Kyle's birth father Jor-El had finally made a deal with him, agreeing that Kyle hadn't been ready for the test, and had imbued Lex with powers like his brother's. Lex had gone to the city to get his brother, but not before Kyle had had a run-in with Metropolis' own crime boss, Intergang leader Morgan Edge.

Since then, Lex had been caught up trying to keep his brother out of trouble and under the radar of Edge and his people, as well as protect Kyle from the authorities who had been chasing up on Kyle's activities in Metropolis. Lex had managed to give them an even bigger fish to fry when Chloe had told him she knew Morgan Edge had been involved in the deaths of his grandparents. As had Lionel.

His mother had taken the news in typical fashion. She'd confessed to him while he was in college that she had not performed CPR on Lionel not because she didn't know what to do but some small part of her had felt she would be finally free of his abuse. Lex could barely remember his childhood before the meteor shower but people he'd talked to had since confirmed what his mother had finally told him. Lionel had beaten his wife a number of times. Still, the coroner who had performed the autopsy on his father had concluded that any attempt at resuscitation would have been pointless, since Lionel had been gone the moment he'd collapsed.

Kyle had become fairly moody over the past few months. He and Lucas had had a severe falling out, especially over Chloe, whom Kyle had pretty much considered his personal property. Lex's baby brother had no interest in dating the blonde himself, but he didn't like his older brother dating her either.

Then two and a half months ago, Jor-El had sent an emissary, of sorts, telling Kyle he must come to him. While he was resistant at first, the 'emissary', who Lex discovered was a teenage girl who had disappeared years earlier, but claimed to be Kyle's cousin, had manipulated Kyle, got into his head so his brother hadn't known which way was up and which was down. Confused and refusing to listen to reason, Kyle had gone to the cave. And vanished.

"Mr Luthor, Mr Luthor," the guide called in broken English.

Lex glanced up, realising he'd become lost in thought while they'd been digging into the temple wall. As years of dirt and sand fell away, Lex saw what appeared to be a statue of Anubis, the jackal-headed god of the afterlife. Yet it didn't seem all that valuable. Lex frowned at it as he examined it. The statue appeared to be a cheap plaster imitation of the ancient artefacts and something which would be sold in any marketplace designed for tourists. Yet how was it that it was buried here, within the temple?

Driving back to his private jet, Lex turned the statue over and over in his hands. He examined the symbols on the back. They definitely matched those he and Kyle had seen in the caves. Yet the secrets it contained were still a mystery to him.

XXXXX

"Listen, Smallville, are you sure you don't remember anything?" Lois asked as she drove to Smallville Medical Center.

"Why do you call me that?" he asked flatly.

She peered at him, barely able to see his face in the darkness.

"I've always called you Smallville, ever since we met on the beach that one time. Don't you remember?"

"I remember nothing."

"Great," Lois sighed. "I end up lost in the boonies with a guy who's walking around with Swiss cheese for a brain."

"Swiss ... cheese?" Kyle asked.

"Don't you know about Swiss cheese?" she asked.

"No," he answered shortly.

"Oh, well, never mind. Damn, where is this hospital anyway?" she asked, peering into the darkness.

"I do not know."

"Well, you're a lot of help. You've been living here practically all your life, you'd think that mush you call a brain would actually remember something like that," she said, continuing to babble on while she tried to get her bearings.

"You talk a lot," Kyle observed.

"Yeah, well I hate uncomfortable silences, which you already know, since we've known each other since we were ten."

Lois turned off the highway, seeing lights from a house.

"Maybe they can give me directions," she said, pulling into a driveway and following it down toward the yellow farmhouse. She stopped the car and got out, turning to look at him. "Just stay put," she said.

"I am fine," he answered, staring with a blank expression out of the window.

Lois sighed and shook her head, muttering about crazy people and crazy small towns.

A blonde-haired man and a redheaded woman came out of the farmhouse.

"Can we help you?"

"Um, yeah, I kinda got lost and I'm looking for the hospital." Lois laughed nervously. "I kind of got turned around back there in the lightning storm."

"Hospital?" the woman asked, looking concerned. "Are you all right? You're not hurt are you?"

"No, no," Lois assured them. "I'm fine. It's just ... " She waved her hand toward the car where Kyle sat continuing to stare blankly ahead. "My friend there. I think he got struck by lightning. He doesn't even know who he is, let alone who I am."

The man peered into the car, but it was clear he couldn't see anything. Kyle picked that moment to get out of the car, throwing off the blanket Lois had wrapped around him. Not that it was a cold night, but seeing him naked was distracting.

"Kyle?" the blonde man called.

The redhead practically ran down the steps to wrap her arms around him. Kyle stood stoically.

"Kyle, where have you been? Don't you know your mother and Lex have been worried sick about you?"

"You know him?" Lois asked, surprised.

"We're friends with the family," the man told her. "You are?"

"Lois. Lois Lane."

"Wait, you're the friend Kyle's been emailing for the past few years?"

"Yeah, that's me," she answered, wondering what Kyle had been telling people about her. It wasn't like they were BFFs or anything.

"Well, it's a good thing you came along. Kyle's been missing for the past two months. We all thought he might have run away again."

"Yeah, Kyle told me about last summer." She frowned at the older man. "What do you mean, he's been missing?"

"Uh, why don't you two come inside?" the woman suggested. "Jonathan, I'm sure we can find some clothes for Kyle," she added with a pointed look at her husband.

"Martha, I doubt any of Clark's clothes will fit," he began, earning a sharp look from her. "I'll go see what I can find."

Martha turned back to Lois.

"Why don't you come in and sit for a bit while we call his family."

"Um, I really should get back to the base."

"The base?" the older woman said, peering at her.

"Yeah, the army base. My dad's a general. He's stationed there. I can, um, come back in the morning. I guess there's not much point in trying to talk to Kyle, I mean, since his memory's kind of AWOL."

"It's rather late," Martha said.

"Yeah, I know. I've always been kind of a night owl."

"Does your father know you're out here?"

"Not really, but he doesn't care. I mean, I'm old enough to do what I want. 'Sides, he's got like three thousand guys to babysit."

"Still, it's not a good night to be driving out there alone."

Lois frowned at the other woman. Her cousin Chloe had always talked about Smallville like it was a dull backwater, so why was she concerned about Lois driving out on her own.

"Look, it's just ... well, I wanted to talk to Kyle because I thought he might know what happened to Chloe."

The redhead bowed her head in sympathy.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," she said.

"Yeah, well Morgan Edge is gonna pay, let me tell you." She hopped nervously, watching Kyle who stood passively on the porch.

Jonathan came back out with what appeared to be jeans and a flannel shirt in hand. He touched Kyle on the arm.

"Let's get you dressed, son."

"I am not your son," Kyle said flatly, with no inflection in his tone at all.

"I know that," Jonathan said quietly, "but you and your brothers and sister are almost like family to us. Now why don't you come in the house so we can call them? I'm sure they're frantic worrying about you."

Lois looked at her ... well, friend would be a strong word, she supposed. They were constantly texting or emailing with little jibes designed to annoy one another. Kyle wasn't resisting, but he wasn't exactly co-operating either.

"I was just trying to get Lois to come in for a little while but she says she has to get back to the base."

"Well, Martha, if she has to go, she has to go."

Lois nodded and turned, going back to the car. As she started the car, the only sound she got was a cough from the engine. She looked at the dial. The needle on the gas gauge showed empty.

"I can't be out of gas!" she cried, frustrated. "I had a full tank."

Jonathan frowned from the porch.

"You all right?" he called.

Lois grumbled and popped the hood, grabbing a flashlight from the glove compartment and getting back out of the car to look inside the engine. She spotted what looked like fluid leaking and leaned in to examine it further.

"Oh great," she sighed.

"Lois?" Martha called out.

"Yeah. I've got a cracked fuel line by the look of it. Must have happened when I ran into the cornfield."

"Well, it's too dark to try and fix it now," the older woman assured her. "Why don't you come in? We can call your father at the base and he can come and pick you up or you can stay with us for tonight."

Lois looked at her dubiously, then nodded.

"I guess you're right," she said.

She followed the woman inside, sitting down at the long, wooden table. Kyle emerged from the parlour wearing jeans and the flannel shirt Jonathan had given him. Lois smiled.

"Well, gotta say that's an improvement, Smallville," she said. "Not that my delicate feminine sensibilities were offended by the sight of Kyle junior."

For a moment she thought she saw a hint of a smile, but guessed she had imagined it. Martha returned from the kitchen.

"Well, Lucas is still in Europe and Lex is on a business trip. Lillian's in Metropolis and can't drive down until tomorrow. I hate the idea of Kyle being in that big house all by himself, so I told Lillian he could stay here tonight."

"How was she?" Jonathan asked.

"Worried, but glad he's home."

"Where's Tess? I thought she was spending the summer here?"

"Lillian told me she had an opportunity to go on a study trip to Fiji that she couldn't pass up. She was going to call and leave a message with the school." Lois watched as Martha poured three cups of hot coffee into cups and placed one in front of her. She dragged the little bowl of sugar and added a teaspoon to her cup.

"You should call your dad," Martha told Lois.

"He won't worry about me."

"Still, I'd rather he know where you are."

Lois sighed, then reluctantly took the phone and called her father. The general barely said a word, telling her he would send a car for her in the morning to tow her back to base.

She spent the night sleeping on a camp bed in the parlour, while Kyle slept on the couch. Lois tossed and turned most of the night. It wasn't as if she was unused to sleeping rough, considering she had often gone out camping with her friend, glad to get away from base for a few days. What was disturbing her sleep was the young man on the couch.

At ten, Kyle had been kind of cute. For a boy. Lois had still been at the tomboy stage where boys were just people she hung out with and rough-housed with. At ten, she had only ever thought of Kyle as someone to snark at. Even at fourteen, he'd just been someone she could tell her secrets to. He'd never been a potential boyfriend, unlike Wes Keenan, or the boy she'd gone to prom with, or intended to go to prom with, since they'd ended up making out behind the gym and never actually made it to the dance. Of course, her father had had to go and ruin that night, since he'd found out she'd 'borrowed' a tank, pooh-poohing the idea of hiring a limousine.

Kyle at almost eighteen was what most of her girlfriends would consider a major hottie. Not that Lois cared. He was still just geeky Smallville. Never mind the fact that his last name was Luthor and his family were millionaires. Lois had never cared about things like money and she never would.

The sun was streaming in the windows when she finally woke. The couch was empty. Kyle must have already got up, she thought, rising from the bed and going to the kitchen to pour herself some coffee. Martha smiled at her when she came in.

"How did you sleep?" she asked.

Lois answered non-committally. She didn't want to say that she hadn't slept well, or the reason why.

"Where's Kyle?" she asked.

"Outside with Jonathan. I think they were in the barn with Clark."

"Clark?"

Martha nodded. "That's our son. Adopted, of course. Clark will be a freshman at Smallville High this year."

"Yeah, my dad's making me repeat my senior year," she sighed. "I didn't get enough credits for Met U."

Martha wisely remained silent on the matter. Lois sipped her coffee, wondering when the general's driver would arrive at the farm.

The screen door creaked and Jonathan came in. He smiled.

"Well, you were right, Lois. Cracked fuel line. I'm sure the mechanics at the base will be able to fix it in no time. When are they ..."

The door was flung open again and a boy of about fourteen came in. There was dirt all over his clothes. He stopped and stared at Lois.

"Uh ..."

"Clark, sweetheart, what's the matter?"

"Um, Kyle took off."

"He what?" Jonathan asked.

"Yeah. He babbled something about fulfilling his destiny, then he just took off. I tried to stop him but he shoved me away." The boy lifted his arm and showed a graze on his elbow where he'd clearly hit the ground.

"I better call Lillian," Martha sighed.

XXXXX

Lex was about two hours out of Kansas when it felt like the plane hit bad turbulence, dropping so suddenly the plane lurched. The statue he'd been holding in his hands fell and shattered on the floor. He saw what appeared to be a crystal among the shattered remains and grabbed the edge of the seat to steady himself as he reached for it.

Just as he managed to get his hands on it, the plane lurched and the cabin depressurized. Alarms rang, making him wonder what had gone wrong. He struggled to hang on as everything that wasn't bolted down began to slide toward the main cabin, including the crystal. To Lex's shock, the crystal rose in the air and something broke through the panelling as if it was paper. He stared. There was only one thing, or one being with enough power to do so.

"Kyle?" he asked.

There was a crackle and the pilot began yelling from the cockpit for Lex to strap himself in so they could make an emergency landing. Lex could do nothing except strap himself in, grab one of the oxygen masks and wait until it was all over.

XXXXX

Lillian paced the floor of the mansion, willing the phone to ring. She had arrived in Smallville to find chaos once again. Martha had called and told her Kyle had taken off from the farm, to god only knew where.

The phone rang and she snatched it up.

"Mom?"

"Lex? Honey, where are you?"

"Colorado," he said. "We had to make an emergency landing."

"What happened?"

"I don't know, Ma, but I think Kyle ...I think he might have something to do with it."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"Mrs Luthor?"

Lillian looked up at the young woman standing in the doorway.

"Lex? Honey, wait a second. Yes?" she said.

"My name's Lois. Lois Lane. I'm guessing Kyle told you about me."

Lillian nodded. "Martha told me you found Kyle last night. Thank you."

"Well, I'm not sure I was much help, to be honest," Lois said. "He was acting, well, not himself. Kind of weird, actually."

Lillian frowned. "Weird how?"

Lois shrugged. "I don't know. Just ... kind of like, um, not rude, exactly, more like Terminator."

"I'm sorry?"

"Yeah, you know, like Schwarzenegger, before he developed a personality. Well, if you can call it a personality. Anyway, the Kents' son, Clark, said he was saying something about his destiny."

Still frowning, Lillian turned back to the phone. "Lex?"

"I heard Mom. I've been working with Dr Swann over the summer, trying to figure out what's been going on and he left me something. I don't think I'll get there in time to stop him."

"Stop him doing what, honey?" she asked.

"I don't know. Mom, it's in the safe in the study. Behind the bookcase. In a lead box. Not even Kyle knows I have it. You need to get it and go to the caves. This is important Ma."

"I understand that," she told him. She turned back to Lois. "I'm sorry, but this is a family matter."

"Oh sure, I get it. Listen, um, when Kyle, you know, gets his mojo, tell him to call me, okay? I really need to talk to him about Chloe."

"Of course," Lillian said, shaking her head and sighing at the teenage girl. She turned to the bookcase and found the switch to lift the panel covering the keypad and put in the combination. The safe opened and she took out the lead box. She frowned at the contents, then spoke into the phone. "Lex? What is this?"

"It's black Kryptonite, Ma. I'm not sure what it does but it's not going to kill him. At least, I don't think so."

"You don't sound very sure."

"It's all we have."

"All right. The caves it is. And Lex?"

"Yeah Ma?"

"Don't call me Ma. Have some respect."

"Sorry," he said, sounding sheepish. "I guess I've been living in Smallville too long."

Lillian grinned and hung up.

A short time later she stepped into the main cavern, watching her youngest son surrounded by bright light in another cavern. Suddenly he turned and headed in her direction.

"Kyle," she said softly. He looked at her impassively.

"You should not have come here."

"You're my son. Of course I came."

"I have things to do."

"Kyle, stop."

"You cannot stop me," he said, grabbing her hand as she reached out to him. Acting purely on instinct, Lillian pressed the black stone to his chest. Kyle screamed as if he had been burned and tried to pull away. He was once again surrounded by bright light and it seemed as if he was fighting himself as twin boys appeared before her.

"Kyle," she called, fearing for her son's life.

"Mom," he begged, sounding scared.

"You can fight this, baby," she told him. "Come back to me."

The two boys, one his chest scarred, seemed to get the upper hand, until the other looked at Lillian, seeming to be pleading for help. All Lillian could do was watch, helpless, trying to send her son all the love she had for him. Just as suddenly as the fight began it was over and Kyle collapsed to the ground.

"Kyle?" Lillian asked uncertainly.

"It's me, Mom. I'm back."

Exhausted and weary, they returned to the mansion an hour later to find that Lex had made it home. He was bruised and sore, with the makings of a black eye, but he was safe.

"Mom?" Lex cried, hugging her.

"I'm fine. Are you all right?"

"A little battered, but I'm okay." He looked at his brother. "Kyle?"

"Yeah, Lex. It's me."

"Thank god you're okay. What do you remember?"

"Not much," the brunet sighed. "I just remember being pulled into the cave wall, then waking up last night. Sort of. It's pretty much a blur. Almost like I dreamed it."

"Do you remember Lois finding you in the middle of the field?"

Kyle nodded slowly. "Yeah. I guess I'm gonna have some explaining to do with her."

"Well, never mind that," Lillian told her sons, hugging them both. "I'm just glad you're home."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Kyle, can you come in here a sec?"

Kyle grumbled. He was going to be late meeting Alicia. He'd met the blonde a year earlier and had liked her instantly. The only trouble was the girl had developed an obsession with him; a murderous obsession that had seen her sent to Belle Reve. Now she was back and saying she was cured. She certainly seemed less obsessive, and dating Alicia was a lot easier than dating Lana, who had been rather cool toward him lately.

Lois had been just as bad. If they weren't bickering and getting on each other's nerves, she was giving him the cold shoulder. He supposed it was payback of sorts from the night she'd found him in the cornfield. He had never been able to give her a reasonable explanation for what had happened, considering much of it was fuzzy. The only reason he knew all the details of the events of that night was because Martha and Jonathan had told him everything.

She had never forgiven him for letting her believe that Chloe was dead, even though he'd had nothing to do with it. Lex had told him that not long after Lois' father had received orders to transfer to Fort Ryan, Morgan Edge's goons had tried to kidnap Chloe. The federal authorities had organised for Chloe to stay in a safe house, but Lex, not convinced that the house was all that safe, had made alternative arrangements with General Lane. He'd been right about the house. Edge's goons had blown it up minutes after Chloe and her father had entered. Fortunately, Lex and the general had constructed a tunnel which proved to be their escape route.

Of course, Kyle had known nothing of this, since he had been sucked through the portal.

Chloe was still mad at him because of the fight he'd had with Lucas. Like it was any of his business who she was dating, she'd told him. She thought he'd made Lucas stop seeing her and Kyle wasn't about to enlighten her. Lucas wasn't a bad guy, just fickle. He'd date a pretty girl for a few months then dump her without an explanation and move on to the next. Kyle loved his brother, but Lucas drove him nuts sometimes. Fortunately, his brother was currently in Switzerland, probably trying his luck with the girls there.

Kyle sighed and went in to his brother's study. Lex was still working at the plant, although it clearly wasn't what he wanted to do.

"What is it, Lex?"

"Sit down."

"I've got a date."

"With Alicia?"

Kyle thought about saying something sarcastic but figured it wouldn't go down well. Lex could be way too serious sometimes, but then he'd always had an over-developed sense of responsibility. Kyle supposed it was because his brother had pretty much been the 'man of the house' since their father had died, even though he was only nine at the time.

"Are you sure Alicia is as cured as she says she is?"

Kyle just scowled at his brother. "I like her. Besides, Lana is seeing Jason."

"You know, you criticise Lucas for chasing every skirt in town, but you're doing the same thing."

"Calling me a hypocrite, Lex?"

Lex shrugged and sighed. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something else. Have you given any thought to your future?"

Kyle rolled his eyes. He was eighteen. What was the big deal about his future?

Lex held up what looked like brochures.

"Kyle, with your grades, you could have your pick of schools. Hell, you could have even had early admission. Why haven't you applied to any of these?"

He looked at the brochures in his brother's hand. There was one for Princeton, even one for Harvard.

"Maybe I don't wanna go to college."

"You have to get an education."

"Don't need it."

"Kyle ..."

"God, you sound like Mom. Every week she's calling to lecture me about school, or something else. We both know I could do all the work at school with one hand tied behind my back."

"Yeah, don't think I haven't noticed your extreme lack of effort. Even your teachers tell me you're bored."

"Since when is it your job to talk to my teachers?"

"Kal, quit with the attitude."

"I don't have an attitude. And I'm going to be late for my date."

"Are you planning on sleeping with this girl?"

"Maybe. Why?"

"Because it sounds to me like you are more interested in sexual satisfaction than anything else. Don't think I don't know about you and Mandy."

"Hey, that was to stop her and her friends with that love molecule stuff."

"No one told you to sleep with the girl."

"I didn't exactly sleep with her," he told his brother, grimacing. Mandy had never been his type.

_Kyle had joined the football team, against his brother's better judgement, and had seen some of his teammates start acting like Stepford boys, following their cheerleader girlfriends around like they were being led by a nose ring. Even Chloe, who had accidentally drunk some of the 'pom-pom' juice, as Lois called it, began acting obsessive toward him, which made it clear the crush she'd confessed to having on him a year or so ago had never faded._

_Lois had been stuck editing the Torch when Chloe had decided that Kyle was more important than the paper and she had dragged Kyle into investigating it with her. She had found a paper which one of the cheerleaders had dropped and realised what had happened. They'd learned that the head cheerleader, Mandy, whose boyfriend had been arrested for attacking the assistant coach, Jason Teague, had decided that Kyle would be her next boyfriend. Well, he was quarterback, not to mention the fact that his family was rich. _

_Mandy had invited Kyle to a pool party, clearly hoping Kyle would drink the juice and become her personal slave. Kyle had walked in to the party, conscious of Lois watching. Deciding he could have a little fun aggravating his friend, he quickly wound himself around Mandy._

_"Hey gorgeous," he said. Mandy was attractive enough, but definitely not his type._

_Mandy turned and looked at him, eyeing his toned physique._

_"Well, hello yourself," she said with a little giggle. Kyle fought the urge to roll his eyes. He hated gigglers._

_He let her wind her arms around his neck and kissed her. _

_"What do you say we get out of here and go some place more comfortable?" he suggested, leering at her. _

_"What do you have in mind?"_

_"Baby, whatever you want. I'm all yours."_

_"Oh yes, you are," she whispered breathily, dropping her arms and taking his hand to lead him to the gym. _

_Kyle let her push him against the wall as she kissed him. He pretended to be totally into the kiss, all the while keeping an ear out for Lois, who he was sure was enjoying the thought of him squirming._

_Mandy paused and looked up at him. _

_"My, you're so tall and so ... strong," she said, splaying her hands on his chest as if to feel his pecs. "How come you never noticed little ol' me before?"_

_Maybe because you're a skank, Kyle thought. Of all the cheerleaders, Mandy had the worst reputation. He'd heard that she'd not only slept with her ex-boyfriend Dan, but she had also been sleeping with other members in the football team. Most of the guys thought she was 'easy'. Kyle just thought of her as damaged goods. _

_Kyle had slept with a couple of girls. Not counting the night he'd been caught with Jessie. The two girls had both been juniors at Met U. Kyle had met one of them at a frat party one of his football teammates had invited him to. He'd met the other girl on campus a few days after he'd broken up with the other girl._

_Lex had not been happy when he'd learned his 'baby brother' had gone to a fraternity party at Metropolis University. Especially after what had happened the summer before last. Not that Lex could really talk, Kyle thought, since his brother had also done his share of 'sowing'._

_"Kyle?"_

_He looked at the blonde in front of him. She was glaring at him, clearly miffed that he'd become so distracted._

_"I'm sorry, Mandy," he said. "I'm just so mesmerised by your beauty."_

_Oh yeah, lay it on real thick, why don't you, he said silently, wanting to gag. Clearly though, it had been exactly the right thing to say because she bought it. Hook, line and sinker. He felt her hand drift down to the drawstring on his bathing suit, which Lois had made him wear, and tried not to pull away. At least his body didn't seem to notice the difference, he thought. _

_"Oh wow, so it really is true!" Mandy exclaimed._

_"What's true?" he asked, genuinely puzzled._

_"You can tell the size of a guy's ... you know, by the size of his feet."_

_She licked her lips, looking as if she wanted to devour him. Kyle wasn't going to let her slimy lips anywhere near his groin. Trying to distract her, he let his hand drift lower until it slipped beneath her bikini bottoms to cup her, plunging two fingers inside her._

_Mandy gasped in surprise, her eyes closing in pleasure as he lowered her to the desk. He glanced down and saw Lois looking up at him with an expression of disgust on her face. She glowered at him, taking the bag Mandy had dropped on the floor and moved away._

_Kyle continued to distract Mandy, chanting in his head to keep from letting the disgust show on his face. He really didn't like girls like Mandy. He kissed her when she tried to turn her head, apparently having the presence of mind to protect her belongings._

_"I think that's far enough, don't you?" Lois said smoothly as if she hadn't just a few minutes earlier seen Kyle in a lip-lock with the blonde cheerleader._

_After everything had been settled, she pulled him aside._

_"I really don't know how you could have ... I mean, with that ... "_

_"Skank?" he said._

_She punched him in the shoulder. He rubbed it, pretending it had hurt._

_"You said it. I didn't."_

_"It was your idea," he told her._

_"I didn't tell you to have sex with her!"_

_"Jealous, Lois?" he said, shooting her a lascivious look._

_She snorted and punched him again. "Yeah, in your dreams, Luthor."_

"Kal, are you listening to me?"

He lifted his head and looked at his brother, slightly startled by the use of his birth name. Lex usually only called him that when he was trying to make a point. "What?"

Lex sighed and shook his head. "Well, it's no wonder your teachers are saying you're bored in class. I don't know where your head is at but you need to start paying attention more. Don't make me call Mom."

Kyle rolled his eyes at his brother.

"Yeah, that threat only worked when I was five and you caught me playing with your Warrior Angel dolls."

"They were action figures, not dolls."

"Same thing!"

"Damn it, Kal, I'm trying to talk seriously to you."

"I told you, I have a date. I don't care about my future! I mean, Jor-El thinks he's got it all mapped out for me, so why would I need an education?"

"You're never going to get anywhere in life with that attitude. Kal, you have to start caring."

"Why? You worry enough for both of us!" He went to the double doors and flung them open. "I'll be out with Alicia. **Don't** call me on my cell and **don't **expect me to be home before midnight. Capisce?"

He could hear his brother grumbling about alien brats as he walked out.

Alicia was waiting for him outside the ice rink. Kyle let her lead him inside, but watched uneasily as the skaters seemed to negotiate the slippery ice with ease.

"I'm not so sure about this, Alicia," he said as she sat down and began putting on her skates.

The blonde grinned at him. "You're not afraid are you, Kyle?" she said.

"A Luthor isn't afraid of anything."

She winked at him. "Then come on."

Reluctantly he put on the skates, wondering where they had managed to get his size, since it wasn't exactly a common size. He wasn't afraid. Not really. He just didn't want to fall on his ass and crack the ice, making himself look like a dork.

"Come on," Alicia said. He looked up and realised she was already on the ice. He frowned down at his feet.

"How the hell ..."

"Use the rubber on the bottom of the blade to give yourself a grip on the floor, then slide it off and step on the ice." She held out a hand. "I'll be right here."

Now he really did feel like a dork. He followed her instructions and made his way cautiously out onto the ice. Alicia kept holding his hand as they skated slowly around the ice.

"This is a hell of a lot harder than those stupid dancing lessons my mom made me take when I was twelve," he told Alicia. He understood about the dancing lessons. They had helped with his co-ordination, so instead of being a stupid dork who tripped over his clown feet as he grew even taller than his two brothers, he was able to hold himself proudly.

That, of course, had made a huge difference with the girls. Kyle wasn't naive enough to think that the girls were hanging with him because they actually liked him. He knew that more than half the reason was his family's wealth. Still, he liked being one of the popular kids.

He stumbled and almost fell. Ice-skating was definitely not for him.

XXXXX

Lois stomped through the halls of the mansion, the high heels of her boots clicking on the parquet floor. She took off her coat, tossing it behind her and continued walking to the double doors of the study. She reached out, her fingers curling around the smooth metal of the doorknobs and pushed the doors open.

Lex was frowning at his screen, muttering something about plant budgets and it being not what he'd planned to do with his life. He started as she entered, frowning slightly as he looked up at her, then his face relaxed into a smile.

"Lois. What can I do for you?"

"You can tell me where your idiot brother is," she said, sounding calmer than she felt.

"Why? What's he done now?"

"He was supposed to be partnering with me on a term paper for English."

Lois had been annoyed when the teacher had put slips of paper in a small box and told the students to draw out a name. Whoever they drew out would be their partner on the term paper. It had been just her luck that she'd drawn out Kyle's name.

"He went out on a date. With Alicia." The older man studied her. "Are you still mad at him?"

"Shouldn't I be? You know, if I'm still stuck in this miserable cow-town by this time next year it'll be all his fault! He's the one who keeps flaking on me for assignments."

Of course, she thought bitterly, it might have nothing to do with the fact that every time they got near each other lately, all they seemed to do was argue. She knew she had no right to blame him over Chloe. Nor did she have the right to get mad at him over Mandy because he'd only done what she wanted. Which was distract the self-centred idiot long enough so she could get the folder and figure out a cure.

He'd accused her of being jealous and she'd immediately scoffed at him. There was no way she was jealous of every girl who looked into those blue-green eyes of his and fell. Lois Lane didn't fall for tall, dark and god, so incredibly sexy, even if his taste in clothing left something to be desired. She would rather go for guys like Lex who, well, she had to admit were a little geeky, but at least he had great taste in clothes.

No, wait a second, she thought. Lex was ... preppy. Sort of the button-down college type. Far too studious for her.

"Lois, as much as I would like to continue this riveting discussion, I have business matters to attend to."

"Anything I can help with?"

Lex snorted. "Not unless you know accounting or can figure out why the plant's profits for the quarter are seriously under-budget."

Lois bit her lip. Chloe had confided in her that some of the workers at the plant had figured that Lex had only got the job at the plant because his mother hadn't wanted the responsibility. Never mind the fact that Lex would rather be playing with his test tubes than dealing with personnel issues. Or a crap factory.

"You know what your problem is," she said.

"Oh, this'll be interesting. Please, do enlighten me."

"Your problem is, you don't really want to be there. You're a scientist. You like playing with test tubes, and that is not meant to be dirty. You like finding out why things happen. Laws of the universe and stuff like that. You don't want to be dealing with crap."

"Except I promised my mother ..."

"See, that's another problem right there. I mean, the guys think you only took the job out of some screwed-up kind of nepotism, which isn't too far from the truth."

Lex seemed to consider this, biting his lip.

"All right. You've piqued my interest. So tell me, Lois Lane, what's the solution to my problem?"

"Hmm, tell you what, you help me solve my problem, I'll help you solve yours."

"I've told you a hundred times, Lois, I can't go talk Met U into letting you in."

"Not that. My English paper. I need the credit."

He sighed. "I'll talk to Kyle, but I can't promise anything. So, tell me, what do you suggest?"

"Chloe's dad. I mean, he knows that plant inside and out. He knows exactly what's needed and how to keep the workers on side without making it sound like he's trying to be their best friend. Let him take over your duties full-time and that'll give you time to focus on what you want to do."

Lex looked surprised. "That actually makes some sense," he said.

Lois grinned at him and shrugged. She'd seen her Uncle Gabe in action and knew he'd do a great job. Lex moved his chair back from the desk and got up, going to the mini-bar.

"Want something to drink?"

"Sure. Scotch?"

He sent her a look. As if that would happen in a million years, his expression told her. Lois smirked at him. She could drink a few guys under the table. One little glass of single malt wasn't going to hurt.

"So, Kyle's out with Alicia," she said as he handed her a bottle of TyNant.

"Yes," he answered shortly, sipping from his glass.

"You don't sound too thrilled."

"I'm not. I'm just not convinced she's as cured as he thinks she is. He told you what happened last year, didn't he?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Big obsession, tried to kill Lana, blah blah blah. Lex, if it bothers you, then why haven't you looked into her psych profile?"

"Lois, there is such a thing as privacy. I'm trying to show Kyle I trust him."

"It's not a question of trusting Kyle, though, is it? Especially if it bugs you."

He sighed. "You're right."

"No time like the present," she said, going to the desk and sitting down before he could stop her. She quickly began trying to access Belle Reve files.

"You know that's illegal don't you?" Lex murmured, but she noticed he made no move to shut her down.

She grumbled as it flashed 'Access Denied'. "Damn it, how does Chloe do this?"

Lex sighed impatiently. "Why don't you let me drive?"

"I can do it," she said, shrugging him off.

"It's my computer," he pointed out.

"Fine!" she said, getting up. "You drive."

Lex sat down and began working. It didn't take him long to access the files and locate Alicia Baker's file. Lois grinned at him.

"Ever think about doing this for a living?"

"What? Computer hacking?"

"No, dork, investigating. I mean, how many times has Kyle dragged you into one of his scrapes?"

Chloe had told Lois a few stories about Kyle and his escapades with the supposedly meteor-infected. Which only convinced Lois the town was completely schizo.

"Which your cousin conveniently forgets she dragged him into in the first place."

"Okay, okay. You make it sound like a bad thing."

"Not necessarily," Lex told her. "I hate to admit it, but Kyle needs something like that to kick his butt in gear. Not that he's lazy, just ... indifferent, I suppose."

"I think the word you mean is spoiled."

"Well, there is that," he said, scanning the files on the computer. "Hmm, I wonder who this psychiatrist is? William McBride."

Lois read through the information. It seemed that the psychiatrist was considered something of a genius, having completed several degrees at Harvard in less time than it would take a normal person to complete one.

She frowned at Lex.

"Doesn't that strike you as odd? I mean it says here the guy has more degrees than I can count, yet he spent, what, two years at Harvard?"

"He could still complete a degree in psychiatry in half the time, although it's a lot of work. I doubt even a genius would have time to earn extra credits to gain the type of qualifications they're listing here." He looked thoughtful. "You're right. There is something off about this Doctor McBride."

"So maybe Alicia isn't as cured as he says she is. I mean, a person who is ..." she read, '...suffering from a histrionic personality disorder, causing emotional instability, resulting in psychotic episodes', surely it would take longer than a year to get over it. Not that I even understood half of that."

"Histrionic means overdramatic. She basically over-reacts to things. From what I remember from last year, she claimed she was affected by the meteors."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, it's my hypothesis that the meteor rocks amplify certain characteristics that are already there. There was this girl when Kyle was a freshman. Tina. She was obsessed with Lana, because she thought that Lana had the perfect life."

"Nobody's life is that perfect. God knows, I know."

"Nevertheless, Tina saw it as perfect. Lana's life probably did seem that way, since Nell had more money than Tina's own mother. Rose Greer owned the antique shop in town but it never made much money, plus Tina had soft bone disease when she was very young. Then, or at least, from what Kyle and Chloe could determine, she was exposed to meteor rock which cured her."

Lois looked at Lex. "You know, for a guy who has been stuck working at the crap factory, you sure know a lot about meteor rock."

"Well, I suppose you could say it's a hobby of mine. Anyway, I'm going to look further into this William McBride," he said, waving his hand at the computer. "I might put in a call to a few contacts and see just how legitimate his qualifications are."

XXXXX

Kyle was getting ready to go visit Alicia when Lex knocked on his bedroom door.

"Before you go out, could you come to my study?"

"Again? What for this time?"

"I just need to talk to you."

"I told you, I'm not interested in discussing my future with you."

"This has nothing to do with that. Could you just come down?"

Sighing, he finished dressing and went down to the study. Alicia was in the hospital after she had been shot trying to protect his secret. It turned out the psychiatrist who had been treating her had become obsessed with her and had tried to kill Kyle.

"What is it, Lex?" he asked, surprised to see Lois there. Lex and Lois looked very friendly, and Kyle was instantly jealous.

"How is Alicia?" Lex asked him.

"She's okay. Recovering."

Lois smiled sympathetically at him. "Smallville, I think I owe you an apology."

"For what?"

"Coming down so hard on you the other day."

He shrugged. Lois had come into the Talon while he had been having coffee with Alicia after their date at the ice rink and pulled him aside, telling him he shouldn't be seeing Alicia since he had been the object of her obsession after all. Kyle didn't think it was any of her business and it had turned into practically a shouting match.

Lois drove him crazy sometimes, but she did care. He understood that. Okay, so things might have got a little out of hand between them, and they did have their ups and downs, but Lois had a deeply caring nature and she would never say something unless she had good reason to.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too," he said, knowing his attitude lately hadn't helped matters.

"Well, I'm gonna take off. I thought I might drop by the hospital and see Alicia," she said.

Kyle was surprised, but grateful.

"Thanks. I think I'd like that."

"Call me later?" she smiled. "I feel like we haven't really had a chance to just talk lately."

He smiled back at her. "Yeah, that'd be cool."

He watched her leave, still smiling, feeling like he'd actually got somewhere. Lex coughed politely.

"Not another one," he said.

Kyle looked at his brother in surprise.

"What?"

"You have feelings for her."

"Well, yeah, she's my friend."

"I'm not talking about those kinds of feelings."

He turned and looked at the doorway, then back at his brother.

"What?" he scoffed, snickering. "Don't be ridiculous. I don't feel that way about Lois. She's my friend," he added, with emphasis on the word 'friend'.

Lex shrugged. "Whatever. Listen, I'm glad Alicia's doing all right. The reason I called you in here was about her, mostly. Well, about her doctor. Lois came in the other day because she was concerned so I talked to a couple of people. This doctor sounded a bit suspect so we dug a little further. His credentials just didn't add up."

Kyle nodded. "Yeah, I kind of got that feeling too." He sat down on the couch. "Um, there's something I need to tell you. About what happened with Alicia."

"Go on."

"Well, she told me that her doctor was getting all obsessed with her. I mean he even had a tracking device in her lead bracelet. So, she came over and told me she wanted to run away to California and wanted me to go with her. When I wouldn't she ... well, she had this necklace made of Red K and she used it on me."

"What?" Lex looked alarmed.

"Nothing happened. Well, nothing bad, I guess. We were making out and well, things were getting pretty hot and heavy and then she told me she was a virgin. At first I didn't care, but then the Red K kind of took over and I got a little too aggressive with her and she got scared. She started fighting me and grabbed the necklace and sort of ripped it so it came off. Then she just teleported out of there."

Lex was pale. "You didn't hurt her though?"

"I wanted to, well ... I mean, she was so obviously not ready for that and ... god, Lex, it scared the hell out of me when I realised what I'd done. Anyway, I tried calling her all night and she wouldn't pick up so I finally went out to Granville to talk to her and that's when her doctor showed up and tried to shoot me."

"So she stepped into the path of the bullet."

Kyle nodded. "I need to talk to her. Make her understand that it wasn't me. You know I'm not like that."

"I know," Lex said sympathetically. "When you go visit her, just try to talk calmly and explain what happened. If she really cares about you, she'll understand."

"I care about her too, Lex, just not ... not like ... I'm not in love with her. I just thought, you know, here's someone who knows my secret and doesn't expect anything from me."

"Kal, I'm not the best person to give advice on this. God knows, I'm no expert when it comes to women. The last two I got involved with were only interested in me for the money. All I can tell you is, you'll just know the right woman when you see her. You just have to open your eyes."

He nodded. For the first time in a long time it seemed like he and his brother had been able to have a brotherly talk that didn't involve a lecture and it felt good.

"Thanks Lex," he said softly.

Lex patted his shoulder and grinned.

"So, I doubt they'll let you in to see Alicia before visiting hours. How about a game of pool?"

"Sure. Rack 'em up."

"Get ready for me to whip your ass, baby brother," the older man smirked, grabbing the cue.

"Ha, you wish, big brother."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six – Present Day

Lex grumbled as he pulled his Porsche into the parking lot. Kyle had taken his space again. Not only that, but he'd parked his truck in such a way that it took up almost two spaces.

"Damn him!" Lex swore, parking the Porsche and getting out, straightening his suit jacket. If his car was towed away again because of his brother's carelessness he was going to make Kyle not only pay the fine, but also to have it detailed. No way was he going to let some grubby towie mess up his car.

He walked along the sidewalk up past the three other small offices, taking his key out, only to find the front door already open. He stepped inside and Lana Lang looked up at him, a sour expression on her face.

"It was already open when I got here," she said.

Kyle obviously had to dash out. Lex wasn't sure if Lana knew about Kyle's abilities and he wasn't about to enlighten her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I wanted to talk to you, actually."

"Lana, it's too early in the morning for a soap opera."

"Have I done something to offend you?"

Lex pondered that for a moment. About a year or so ago, after yet another of their many arguments, Lana had decided she would rather date him than his brother and had tried practically every trick in the book to get him to go to bed with her, but Lex had seen through it easily. Lana couldn't have been more transparent if she tried.

He had been straight with her, telling her that she shouldn't be playing mind games with his brother. Lana had tried to make out she didn't understand what he was saying and had continued trying to seduce him. Her efforts had been clumsy at best, rather like the time she had been infected by the Nicodemus flower, which had been an ill-advised experiment by a local crackpot.

The problem with Lana, Lex thought, was that she continued to define herself in terms of the company she kept. In her case, the men she dated. She had done it with Whitney, she had done it with Jason Teague and she was doing it with Kyle. His brother was the only one who hadn't had the sense to see Lana for what she really was. A lost, insecure little girl who hadn't really grown past the 'fairy princess' image. She'd come so close when she'd gone to Paris on an exchange, but then she'd come home early and fallen into the same old pattern. The only difference was the clothes, which had become more sophisticated, but they were still merely window-dressing.

The problem with his brother, however, was that he continued to want to see Lana as the proverbial girl next door, even though they'd both grown up at least five miles from each other. Kyle could be over-protective at times. So much that Lex wondered if his brother really saw Lana. Lex was certain, however, that Kyle had never been in love with Lana. Just the idea of her.

Lois, on the other hand, gave him the proverbial 'wake-up' call. She had always challenged Kyle, made him think more. They drove each other crazy, just as they had since they'd both been ten years old. Kyle just wasn't ready to admit his real feelings for her.

"Are you listening to me?"

Lex looked at the brunette.

"No, Lana, as a matter of fact, I wasn't. That's because I haven't had my morning coffee yet."

He opened the interior door to the office he shared with Kyle and switched on the coffee maker.

"I don't know how you can drink that swill," Lana commented. "I used to serve better coffee than this at the Talon."

"We closed the Talon, Lana. Remember? It was a business venture that failed."

"And now it's a parking garage. Just as you originally intended. You know, half of Smallville is struggling."

"How is that my fault?" he asked, leaning against the desk and turning to look at her. "The plant is making a decent profit and the co-operative is keeping the farmers from losing their homes."

A few years ago, Lex had begun working with Jonathan Kent to build a co-operative which would allow all the farmers to pool their resources. The Kents had their organic beef and dairy, while the Hubbards were organic vegetable growers. There were at least half a dozen other properties which had been threatened with foreclosure before the co-operative and now they were all making tidy profits.

Still, just because the fertiliser plant and the farmers were doing well, it didn't hold true for all the businesses in town. Some of the local fashion boutiques had had to close their doors once people began shopping in the city. There was only one coffee shop in town and while it had had its fair share of troubles, it was at least managing to keep the doors open.

"You really don't care, do you?" Lana said.

"Lana, I cannot be held responsible for every bad thing that happens in Smallville. We both know that that town would have died a long time ago without the plant and the co-operative. You cannot expect me to give a handout to every struggling business. Let's face it. It's not good business."

While it wasn't exactly what he had planned to do with his life, Lex had given in to his mother's whims and earned himself a degree in business. It wasn't a Masters, but it had still given him enough practical knowledge to have been able to run the fertiliser plant until Gabe Sullivan had taken over full-time. Lois had once told him to take a gamble on Gabe's loyalty, not only to their family but also to the plant and the gamble had paid off.

"Lana, what are you doing here?"

Lex looked up at his brother.

"Well, Kyle, finally decided to grace us with your presence."

His brother rolled his eyes. "What're you talking about, Lex? You saw me at breakfast."

"You left before I did. Oh, and by the way, remove your junk heap from my parking space!"

"Junk heap? It happens to be the latest F-150 and it's a highly sophisticated piece of machinery."

"Yeah, well my Porsche eats yours for breakfast!"

"You're kidding, right? Your little tin can is no match for my monster."

Lana rolled her eyes. "Oh my god! I cannot believe I was even considering getting back with you." She pointed a slender finger at Kyle. "You, Kyle Luthor, are a Neanderthal. And you ..." she continued, glowering at Lex. "I thought you had class!"

She stalked out, leaving them both staring in amazement at the doorway. They were both silent for a few moments until the coffee pot switched off with an audible click.

"Coffee!" Lex said almost gleefully, grabbing the pot and his coffee cup, pouring himself a black coffee.

"You sound like Chloe," Kyle said.

"You heard from her lately?"

"Yeah, her and Ollie are apparently re-decorating the apartment in Star City."

Lex cocked an eyebrow at him. "Re-decorating?"

Kyle nodded. "Seems their little twosome is about to become a trio. Well, in about six or seven months."

Lex looked taken aback. He had once considered asking Chloe out but she'd been dating a guy at the Daily Planet then. Lois had met Oliver Queen years earlier when he'd come to Metropolis to talk to Lex and their mother about a business deal. Lois at the time was busy trying to convince the Daily Planet to give her a job, without a college degree and had convinced Lex to let her interview the Queen scion. The interview itself had been disastrous, the story good enough to paint the blonde billionaire in a good light and flattering enough for him to ask her out.

Kyle had later discovered that Oliver had been the masked vigilante who had quickly been dubbed Green Arrow by Lois, still eager to make her mark as a fledgling reporter. Oliver's secret identity had swiftly come between the couple, leaving Lois heartbroken. Kyle had, of course, swooped in, taking advantage of the moment to provide his friend with some much needed comfort.

For his effort, Lex had called him an opportunist, even if he had sympathised later when Kyle had confessed to his brother just how difficult it was trying to ease his friend's pain and keep his real feelings to himself.

Chloe had become friends with Oliver before the couple had fallen in love. Then Oliver had asked her to marry him and she'd moved to Star City.

"Chloe's pregnant?" he asked.

"Yep."

"Oh."

Lex sat down at his desk and began checking the messages on the answering machine. Kyle ambled over to his desk and sat down, putting his feet up on the desk. Lex glanced over at him.

"You know, I'm starting to get why she called you a Neanderthal."

"Yeah, well I get why Lois keeps calling you Preppy."

Not that wearing a suit was a bad thing, he supposed. He just had never been comfortable in three-piece suits. He remembered a fund-raiser their mother had made them attend a few years ago. He had spent the entire night in discomfort as the tie she had forced him to wear choked him.

The phone rang and he picked it up.

"Luthor and Luthor ..."

"Hey Kyle."

Kyle whooped inwardly. He had played football his final year at Smallville High and had been good friends with the assistant coach ever since.

"Hey Jay! What's up?"

"Nothing much. I'm just waiting for a new client." Jason sounded bored. "You up for a brewski tonight?"

"Sure! I'll meet you at McGinty's. Six?"

"Make it six-thirty. I'm supposed to be meeting a client at five, but they're always fucking late!"

"No probs. Catch you later."

Jason had had his fair share of romantic troubles. He'd dated Lana her senior year and the relationship had been pretty much on a see-saw as she continued to waver between Kyle and Jason. It wasn't that Lana was fickle. She just had never been able to handle the fact that Kyle had secrets and he wasn't going to tell her the truth.

Jason, on the other hand, had troubles with his mother, who kept him pretty much on a tight leash. Kyle and Lex had found some papers when they'd been digging through the storeroom at the mansion and learned that their father had been involved in some kind of project with Virgil Swann, who Kyle had met when he was fifteen, Robert and Laura Queen and Edward and Genevieve Teague.

Kyle had eventually convinced Jason to cut the apron strings and get away from his mother's obsession with Veritas, especially after she had tried to kill Lana. Genevieve was still incarcerated in the Metropolis Women's Prison.

Jason, meanwhile, had gone back to studying full-time and earned his credits toward certification as a personal trainer. He now owned his own gym. He had been the one to provide a shoulder to cry on when Lana had tried to make Kyle jealous by seducing Lex.

"Uh, excuse me, the, uh, door was open."

Kyle looked up at the man in the doorway. He seemed nervous, almost twitchy as he studied the brothers.

"Mr Roberts?" Lex asked.

The man nodded. He was in his fifties, portly, with salt and pepper hair.

"Please, take a seat," Lex answered, getting up and clearing a chair in front of his desk for the man to sit down.

"Th-thank you, Mr, uh, Mr Luthor."

"Please, call me Lex."

Kyle ignored the sharp look from his brother, but did sit up straight and tried to look approachable. Lex had often told him that while he dressed like the common man, his size and his devil-may-care attitude could sometimes intimidate people. Judging from the nervous looks he was getting by the client, Lex might have a point.

"Call me Kyle," he said, trying to pretend he was just a soft teddy bear. Well, that was usually how Lois put it. Then again, she always knew how to twist him around her little finger. He was constantly reminded of a song his mother had loved when she was younger.  
><em><br>Every which way but loose_

"Kyle, you with us?"

"Oh, sorry," he said sheepishly.

" Women troubles?" Roberts asked, clearly much more relaxed from chatting casually with Lex.

"Excuse me?"

"I saw that little brunette run out of her like a fire was lit under her ass. You got that look about you. Like you got a girl on your mind."

Not that girl, he thought.

"Uh, so anyway, you two come highly recommended."

"May I ask by whom?"

"Oh, Judge Abby Ross. She said you grew up with her kids."

"Sure, Sam and I went to Smallville Middle School. Kyle and Sam's brother Pete have been friends since kindergarten."

Roberts nodded. "She told me Peter's studying to be a lawyer. In his final year. She's very proud of him. Very proud."

"So, what can we do for you, sir?" Lex asked.  
><em><br>"_I own a private security company. Several of my men are employed by banks all over the city. Lately, these banks have been hit by robbers but no one can seem to figure out exactly how these robberies are occurring. I'm beginning to think it might be an inside job."

"Well, we're contracted to supply vetting services for companies such as yours," Lex began and Kyle looked at him.

"I'm betting that's not why you're here," Kyle finished. No, the man was here because there was something 'unusual' about these robberies. It was, after all, what they did for a living.

Six years ago Kyle had told his brother he wasn't planning on going to college. With everything Jor-El had told him about his 'destiny', he figured college was just going to be a waste of time. Lex had tried to persuade him to at least give it a try, but further education just didn't interest him.

When their mother had found out, she had been upset. So upset that Kyle had shrunk away in shame. He loved his mother, but there were times when she just made him nervous. Not that she was over-bearing, just anxious. He supposed it came from years of raising him, trying to keep him from revealing himself to the wrong person. He remembered when he had hit Whitney so hard he'd ended up through the fence at school. His mother had been upset then, worried that the principal might have asked questions for which she didn't have the answers.

Kyle had made the decision years ago never to, voluntarily at least, reveal the truth about himself to anyone. He'd told Lex of his decision, of course. Lex had always been the one person he had gone to when he needed advice or guidance. Even if he had been a brat most of his teen years, they were closer than ever. Okay, so Lex would get annoyed with him on occasion, but that was just a sibling rivalry thing, he figured.

He had never been more certain of his decision when Alicia had been murdered. She had been accused of attacking Lana and Jason and had decided Kyle should reveal himself to the police. That way it would take the heat off her and make people more understanding. Kyle doubted that. A year or so earlier, Lana had been attacked by a meteor freak and another student had saved her by killing him. The venom in Lana's tone when she told him she thought it was 'good riddance' convinced him that Lana would never accept him.

It was Alicia's death which had inspired Lex to start the business. He'd told Kyle that even if he wasn't interested in going to college, he could still put his high school education, not to mention his abilities to good use. After all, Kyle had spent half his time at high school chasing down stories about meteor freaks. It was just Lex's bad luck that he'd been targeted by said meteor freaks more often than not.  
>His brother had argued that with his business acumen and Kyle's 'otherworldly' skills, they could specialise in cases that were 'outside the box'.<p>

So was born the Luthor & Luthor Detective Agency.

Lex wanted to study the material the client had left, clearly having forgotten they had promised to meet Lois for lunch. He was deep into his work, jotting down notes as he read, that he didn't hear Kyle's quiet cough. So Kyle cleared his throat. Loudly.

Lex scowled up at him.

"Could you do that somewhere else? I'm trying to concentrate."

"Lex, it's quarter of noon."

His brother frowned. "So?"

"Lois? Russian Tea Room?"

"Oh. Shit! Right. Lunch." He got up and grabbed his jacket. "Let's go then."

"We'll take my truck," Kyle told him.

"Hell no."

"You know I can't fit in that tin can!" Kyle protested.

"So why don't you fly, then?" Lex grinned at him as he stood by the car and pressed the remote to unlock it. "It'll be faster."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Fine, but don't blame me if I kick the floor out of the Porsche."

"You do, brat and it'll be the last thing you ever do," he growled, putting on his best 'villain' voice.

"Ahh, blow it out your tailpipe," Kyle teased back, opening the passenger door and squeezing himself into the narrow space. Lex and his toys, he sighed.

They were a few minutes late when Lex finally pulled up outside the Russian Tea Room. What was it with Lex and his luck at finding a parking space exactly where he needed it?

His brother sent him a questioning look.

"What?"

"You just ... I don't know how you do it, that's all."

"Do what?"

"Mrs P would have called it the 'luck of the Irish'."

"You know, that phrase isn't really Irish in origin. It's actually from the gold and silver-mining rush in the latter half of the ..."

Kyle clapped his hands over his ears. "Nooooo!"

Lex just grinned. Ever since Kyle could remember, Lex had always found some historical analogy to use to relate to whatever problem he was trying to solve. Lois had once queried whether Lex used the analogies because he doubted the validity of his own opinion on the subject. She'd suggested that Lex was perhaps a little shy, mostly because of his self-described 'freakiness'. It probably hadn't helped that he'd been the youngest freshman at Princeton at the time he'd attended, being two years younger than his classmates. That had set him apart from them. Using the analogies was his way of putting up a barrier to protect himself from criticism. Or so Lois had hypothesised.

Kyle just thought it was a pain in the ass.

Lois waved at them as they entered. The seating host greeted them with a smile.

"Good afternoon sirs. It's nice to see you again."

"Thanks Marcus. I see Lois is already waiting for us."

They'd been going to the Russian Tea Room for years since it was Lillian's favourite restaurant. The staff knew them well. Kyle had dated a couple of the waitresses, in-between break-ups with Lana.

Lex walked over to the table and greeted Lois with a kiss on the cheek. Kyle bit back a retort and pulled out the chair next to hers. She never kissed him, he thought jealously.

Lois must have noticed his expression as she frowned at him.

"What's up with you?" she asked.

"Ignore him," Lex said. "He's been a grouch all morning."

"Ha!" Kyle returned. "Who started bitching at me as soon as I got to the office this morning?"

"That's because you took my parking spot. Again!"

"I don't see your name on it, baldy!"

"Oh my god, when are you two going to grow up?" Lois groaned.

"You're absolutely right, Lois," Lex said. "We should be acting like mature adults," he added with a sharp glare at Kyle. "And FYI, Kyle, my name is on the lease for that parking spot, so technically my name is on it."

Kyle was so tempted to poke his tongue out at his brother, but the waiter appeared to take their orders for appetisers.

"I'd like the escargot," Lex answered. Kyle cocked an eyebrow at him. Snails? Then again, his brother had always had weird tastes since he'd spent the summer after college travelling in Europe. Although Lex called it 'Continental'.

"I'll have the lobster," he ordered.

"I'd like the onion soup," Lois replied. "I'm on a diet," she confided.

Kyle frowned at her. "Why are you on a diet? You don't need to lose weight."

"I was reading this article in Cosmopolitan the other day and it said I was two points over my recommended BMI."

"Lois, you don't need to diet. You look perfect the way you are," he assured her. "Besides, look at me. If I went by my body mass index I'd be considered obese."

"Well, you are big," she commented, blushing slightly at his compliment. "I mean, not that you're fat. I guess you work out a lot."

Or something, he thought. Lex raised an eyebrow at him but didn't comment on that. He looked at Lois.

"I don't get why you women put so much stock in the likes of Cosmopolitan. Have you ever actually looked at the photographs of the women on those covers? They're all air-brushed. Even the women who look as if they have perfect bodies have imperfections. It's what makes every woman unique. And beautiful."

Lois blushed even harder.

"You know, Lex, I find it hard to believe you're still single when you talk like that. I can't understand why any woman would turn you down. That is the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

Lex looked uncomfortable. "I guess even some women prefer what's on the surface."

Meaning, Kyle thought, they never looked beyond the bald head to really get to know the man underneath. Lex had been married twice and divorced twice and both women had only been interested in his money. It wasn't fair. Lex was a great guy.

"Well, it's their loss, Lex," he said quietly. "Not yours. If they can't see what a great guy you are, then they're the losers."

"What he said," Lois answered. "And you are, you know. A great guy, I mean. If I wasn't ... um, well, I'd date you in a heartbeat, if I had the time to date."

"Didn't you just dump a guy?" Kyle asked, choosing not to embarrass her by asking what she was really going to say.

"Well, yeah, but you know what happened with him."

Lex raised his water glass. "Well, here's to the three of us. Losers in love but definitely not losers in life."

"Amen!"

The food was delivered and Lex watched his brother talk with Lois as he began eating his escargot. How could the two of them not know how the other felt, he thought, since it was as plain as the noses on their faces. Kyle was in love with Lois and she was just as besotted.

He was going to have to do something about this, he thought.

They returned to the office an hour later while Lois dashed off to interview the chief executive of some big corporation about a possible EPA investigation. Lex continued to ponder the problem while Kyle began researching the robberies for the new case.

"Hey, remember that time Whitney got involved with those guys who were using Kryptonite to make themselves tattoos?" Kyle said, his eyes still on the computer screen.

Lex nodded. In Kyle's freshman year, Whitney had been going through some personal stuff. His father had been in the hospital for triple bypass surgery and the former football jock had had trouble coming to terms with it. He had fallen in with a bad crowd. Three guys who had once been on the fast track to football stardom at Met U only to get kicked out for using drugs. They had found a way to use meteor rock as tattooing ink and it had somehow given them the ability to walk through walls, making it easy for them to break into people's homes and steal their valuables.

When they'd broken in to the mansion, Chloe had been almost killed and Lex and Kyle had quickly figured out how they were managing to get in, working together to stop the men and Whitney, before he ended up getting killed himself.

"You think this could be happening here?" Lex asked, going to look at the articles Lois had told them about.

"I don't know," Kyle said, looking thoughtful. "I'm kind of surprised I haven't heard anything."

"Well, maybe the bank staff haven't had time to set off an alarm or maybe they're just not aware of it happening. You know who we should talk to."

"Yeah. I'll give him a call."

Kyle picked up the phone and dialled a number.

"It's me. I know you're busy, but it's about a case. Sure. We can meet you there in ..." he looked at his watch, "thirty minutes?" He nodded and hung up, then grabbed his keys.

Lex picked up his jacket from the coat stand and followed his brother out, waiting as he locked up the office.

"This time we're taking my truck," Kyle told him.

"Well, we wouldn't want my Porsche to get scratched," Lex answered, grinning. "Especially not in that neighbourhood."

"Cute, Lex."

Kyle wasn't a bad driver, per se, but he drove almost as fast as Lex on a good day. Lex was always forced to hang on to something when his brother was driving as he tended to take corners too fast and ignored orange lights.

"Kal!" Lex exclaimed after his brother had slammed on his brakes to stop the truck from hitting a car in front which had stopped suddenly. "I'd like to actually get there in one piece."

"Backseat driver," Kyle muttered.

"I'm in the front seat," Lex reminded him.

"Same thing."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Whatever!"

Kyle once again slammed on his brakes thrusting them both forward. Lex groaned inwardly, thankful he'd been wearing his seatbelt, otherwise he was sure his head would have smashed against the windscreen. The truck swerved as they pulled into the parking lot of a donut shop.

Lex grinned at his brother.

"What is it with cops and donuts?" he asked as they parked next to a black SUV.

Kyle smirked back at him and got out of the truck. The driver of the SUV got out, taking off his sunglasses.

"Hey, Luke!" Kyle called.

Detective Lucas Luthor glared at them.

"You know, if I was in traffic, I'd have had you on about a hundred different violations."

"Don't exaggerate!"

"You pull in here like a bat out of hell and I bet you drove at least twenty miles over the posted speed limit just to get here. Mom would have a bird if she caught you ..."

Kyle seemed to have tuned out his brother's lecture. Lex grinned at Lucas.

"How's it?" he asked.

Lucas groaned. "Don't even ask. I've got the chief practically riding my ass about a few unsolved cases and now I have to deal with you two clowns."

"Ahh, c'mon Luke, we're not that bad. And we might even be able to help with some of your unsolved cases."

Lucas glared at Kyle. "Stop calling me Luke. Not even my wife calls me that."

"How is Michelle?" Lex asked. Lucas had met his wife at Police Academy. They'd both made detective early in their careers although Lucas worked Robbery-Homicide while Michelle worked Vice.

"Pregnant!" Lucas told him, trying to look put-upon, but he couldn't hide the shit-eating grin.

"Whoa! We're gonna be uncles? Have you told Mom yet?"

"No! And don't you dare say a word Kal," Lucas told him as they walked into the shop to sit down at a table. "We're telling her at her birthday dinner on Friday."

"Fine, fine, fine!" Kyle answered. He went up to the counter to give their order.

Lucas sighed as he watched Kyle flirt with the girl on the counter.

"He still hasn't made his move with Lois?"

Lex shook his head. "I swear I don't know what he's waiting for. He started dating Lana again."

"Is he a masochist?"

"I don't know. I think perhaps he keeps going back to her because she's the 'safe' option."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "He's an idiot!"

"You're telling me." He looked at his brother. "You wanna help me out?"

"Do what?"

"Well, you remember how jealous he got when you dated Chloe. And he wasn't even interested in her. Not romantically."

Lucas raised his hands in surrender. "Oh hell no big brother."

"There has to be a single guy at the precinct that Lois might ..."

"Again, I say hell no. You try that trick and you're just looking for trouble."

"Well, someone has to give those two a wake-up call. I'm sick and tired of the constant roller-coaster. He's dating Lana, then he's not, then he's back with her again."

"Back with who?" Kyle said, putting their coffees down on the table.

"Never mind," Lex answered. "So, Lucas, tell me what you know about some bank robberies."

Lucas cocked an eyebrow. "Bank robberies? You two aren't planning on ... you know it's a police matter."

"The guy who contracts out the security guards hired us," Kal answered.

"The answer's still no."

"Come on, Luke. Tell me there's nothing unusual about these robberies and we'll leave it alone."

Lucas sighed, clearly realising he wasn't going to dissuade them.

"All right, but if this all goes to hell, it's not just my ass on the line. Look, best we can figure is, these guys are casing the place and picking their time. Or else ..."

"It's an inside job. Yeah, our client did wonder about that."

"Anyway, they're getting in without the staff even realising they're there. By the time the manager figures out the bank's been robbed, they're long gone. And so is whatever money they've stolen."

"Is it just banks?"

Lucas nodded. "I guess they figure they can get more from the vaults."

"Any particular pattern?" Lex asked.

"Dunno. I'll get back to you on that."

Kyle drove back at a slightly more sedate speed, although still a couple of miles over the posted limit. They discussed theories back and forth about what possible powers the robbers could use.

"Teleporting?" Kyle asked.

"The only one we know of was Alicia. Unless there's something you're not telling me."

"About what? Like her whole family could teleport?"

"No, I suppose not," Lex sighed. "What else?"

"Invisibility? You know, I read in this science journal a year or so ago about a guy who was trying to develop an invisibility suit. He had this theory that he could use fibre optics to reflect visible light as ultra-violet."

"Essentially making himself invisible? Interesting theory."

Kyle shrugged. "Doesn't prove anything."

"No, but speaking of invisibility, remember Jeff?"

"How could I forget?"

They spent the rest of the afternoon reading the file and some of the reports Lucas had sent over. Around six, Kyle left to go meet Jason at their favourite bar.

"You can come with," Kyle suggested.

"No thanks. I'll sit this one out."

"Okay. Drive safe."

"Yeah, you too."

He waited until his brother was gone, then picked up the phone, dialling long-distance.

"Hey, it's Lex. I could really use your help with something."

"Like what?" Chloe asked.

"Like getting my idiot brother and your idiot cousin together."

"Ooh," she said. He could practically hear rubbing her hands in glee. "Tell me more!"


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Kyle had ordered a beer and found a table when Jason came in. He grinned and waved his friend over.

"Hey man," Jason said, slapping his outstretched hand.

"How was the client?" Kyle asked.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Ugh, god, don't get me started." He looked up at the waitress, who was dressed in a tight low-cut t-shirt and cut-off denims, the edges frayed. The short length emphasised long, slender legs. Kyle looked her over appreciatively.

"Hey sweetheart, can I get a beer," Jason ordered.

"Sure Mr Teague. Mr Luthor, can I get you anything else?"

"Some nachos would be great, thanks Cassie."

She grinned at him and turned away, her hips swaying as she walked back to the bar. Kyle had considered asking her out on a date once but she had told him she had a boyfriend and he never tried to nose in on another man's territory. He knew how it felt when Lana had tried the same thing with Lex.

"So, tell me about this client."

"What can I say? Ever heard the expression EB?"

"Sure, but I doubt it's the same thing you're talking about."

"We are talking Entitled Beeyatch," Jason said. "You know the type. Always demanding, always wanting it her way. I swear, she's like three hundred pounds and thinks she's gonna lose it all overnight. I train the clients for an hour, right? Well, she not only wants two goddamn hours a day, but she wants me to drop all my other clients so I can pay her special attention. And she won't listen when I tell her that working out for two hours a day won't make a difference. She tells me she's seen it work on some frickin' reality show."

Kyle rolled his eyes. He tried never watching reality shows, although Lex was apparently hooked on some show about a family which became rich through a business they built up. Something to do with duck-calling.

Jason looked up as Cassie returned with a bottle of beer.

"Thanks sweetheart." He winked at her. "You still seeing that guy?"

Cassie grinned. "You still have no chance, Mr Teague."

"Damn! Oh well, better luck next time."

"You know, Lana dumped me," Kyle said. He would never have admitted that in a million years to his brother. His friend, on the other hand was a different story. Jason raised an eyebrow at him.

"Again? Are you a masochist?"

"Gee, thanks," Kyle said sarcastically. "I get enough of that from my brothers."

"I thought you were into Lane?"

"Oh come on, Lane's more into her career."

"And you're nuts about her. Why haven't you made a move already?"

"Don't start. So, what about you? Anything on the action front?"

"Well, there is this chick who's been training at the gym. She works with one of the other trainers. Seems kinda shy, but ..."

"Cute?"

"Hell yeah."

"So, why don't you?"

"It's called ethics, Kyle. Something you'd know if you actually opened a book once in a while."

"So you're saying you can't ask her out because she's a member at your gym? I thought you only started the place so you could meet hot women?"

Cassie returned with Kyle's nachos, giving him another friendly smile. Kyle grinned back at her. He had been flirting with her for as long as he'd been coming to the bar, but she knew it was harmless. He'd once come to her rescue when another customer had decided to get handsy.

"No, that's what you would do," Jason said. "I actually believed I could do some good."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I don't think it's unethical to ask a girl out just because she goes to your gym. Maybe if you were training her, sure. I mean, has she given you any indication that she's interested?"

"She's too focused on her training. I mean, we are talking intense. She's been going for about six months and working with the trainer for about half that and she gets this look on her face like she's ... I don't know, like there's a reason she's doing it."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, hell no." Jason helped himself to some nachos. "I like a girl with that kind of focus."

"So stop making excuses and talk to her," Kyle said. "At least feel her out."

"Yeah, listen to who's talking! You and Lane are practically joined at the hip, yet you won't ask her out already."

"With Lois and me, it's different."

"It's Lois and I ..." Jason corrected.

"Shut up, you sound like Lex."

"Well, 'scuse me, dude. At least some of us actually went and got a college education."

"Hey, just because I chose not to go to college doesn't mean I'm dumb, okay?"

"I never said you were."

XXXXX

"Lex, I get where you're coming from, but why me? I'm not even living in the same state anymore."

Lex sighed. He understood that Chloe was happily married and living with her husband several states and over fifteen hundred miles away, but there was no one else he could think of to help him come up with a way to get those two stubborn idiots together.

"Look, Chloe, we both know they're nuts about each other."

"And you know Lois. She doesn't like to be pushed."

"Neither does Kyle, but they've been dancing around this for way too long. She just broke up with that jerk Steve Lombard and Kyle and Lana broke up again."

"I didn't know he and Lana were dating again. What is he, a masochist?"

"That's what I say."

"Yeah, well, Lana used to be one of my closest friends. I mean, don't get me wrong. She's a great girl, when she's not being so self-centred, but she and Kyle are like each other's worst enemy."

"That's what I've been trying to tell Kyle."

"You know he never listens!"

"Which is why I need you to help me get him and Lois together, before they both drive me insane."

"Well, there is a story I've been looking into. I'm not sure, but it could work."

"What is it?"

"It's this couples retreat thing. Well, it's not a retreat, more like a camp, and it's for couples who are having problems connecting. Since Ollie and I don't have that problem, I was trying to figure out a way to go under-cover. I thought about hiring on as staff, but that's not going to work."

"So, maybe we can send Lois and Kyle on the retreat? Sounds doable. I still need more than that though. It sounds more like a puff piece."

"It's not. Since I've been digging into it, three couples have disappeared, never to be seen again. There's something weird going on at this retreat."

"Where exactly is this place?"

Chloe chuckled. "Ha, you'll never guess."

"Smallville?" Lex groaned.

"Yup. Or just outside of it."

"Why am I not surprised?" he complained. "Look, send me what you have and I'll see if I can get Perry interested."

"Sure. Good luck, honey. You're gonna need it."

"Yeah, thanks for the vote of confidence, Chlo."

Chloe laughed. He heard her talking to someone else in the room. At the same time his cellphone went off.

"Hey, looks like my mother's calling on the other phone."

"Give her my love," Chloe said. "I gotta go. Ollie just got home from work. We're going out to dinner."

"Have fun. Thanks Chloe."

"Anytime, babe."

Lex hung up the phone and picked up his cellphone.

"Mom? Everything okay?"

"It's fine, baby. I just wanted to check in with you."

Lex frowned. He'd just talked to his mother the night before.

"No, really, Mom, what's going on? You don't normally call two nights in a row."

"Okay, I have some news. Your sister's getting married."

"What?" Lex was stunned. Tess was working at a lab in Miami and always emailed or phoned. He would have thought she would have told him.

"I'm guessing this is news to you."

"I knew she was seeing someone, but I didn't think it was that serious. I haven't even met the guy."

"Well, you will on Friday. You and Kyle are still coming, aren't you?"

"Of course we are, Mom. It is your birthday. I'll make sure Kyle comes even if I have to wrap Kryptonite around him to get him there."

"Let's not go to extremes, darling," she laughed, clearly knowing just how difficult Kyle could be when he wanted to be. "Where is that brother of yours?"

"He went to meet Jason for drinks."

"Oh, how is Jason? I haven't seen him in a while."

"He seems to be doing well. His gym featured in the business section of the Planet about a month ago."

"I did see that." She moved on to asking Lex about his love-life.

"Mom, don't you dare even think of inviting some socialite to your birthday. I don't need matchmaking."

Lillian laughed gaily.

"Oh, don't be silly, darling. As if I would."

That was the trouble. She would.

XXXXX

Kyle walked in to the office the next morning to see Lex already at his desk, reading some documents. As soon as he approached his brother's desk, Lex closed the folder.

"What's that?" Kyle asked.

"Nothing. Just another case I'm looking into."

"Uh-huh."

"Mom called again last night. She wanted to make sure you're going to be at dinner tomorrow night."

Kyle made a face. "Do I have to?"

"Kal, she's our mother. Yes, you have to."

"But she's always ... you know, trying to match-make. I mean, if I needed any help with my love life, I'd ask for it."

"Mom never does anything without the best of intentions. Oh, by the way, she said Tess called and told her she's engaged."

"Our Tess?" Kyle stared at his brother, surprised.

"Do we know any other Tess?"

"I didn't even know she was seeing anybody," he said.

Lex smirked at him. "Well, if you pulled your head out of your ass long enough, you might actually learn something."

"Hey, I resemble that remark."

He sat at his own desk and switched on the computer, accessing his email. A message from Lois popped up.

_Smallville, why is your mother emailing me to make sure you're going to come to dinner tomorrow night?_

Kyle gulped. Okay, so it was his mother's sixtieth birthday, which was an important milestone, he supposed, but still, she was trying too hard.

_Beats the hell out of me _he typed, quickly sending the message._  
><em>  
>It wasn't long before his computer pinged letting him know she was on.<p>

_Ace Reporter: You better be at the dinner tomorrow night or your ass is grass._

_Kal: Yeah, what're you gonna do Lane. Stab me to death with your rapier wit?_

_Ace Reporter: You are so not funny, Luthor._

_Kal: Are you kidding? I'm hilarious._

_Ace Reporter: Nice try, doofus._

_Kal: Ahh, you love me Lane, admit it._

_Ace Reporter: Yeah, like a hole in the head._

_Kal: Aww, I'm wounded!_

_Ace Reporter: I'd pay to see that._

_Kal: Bet you would._

"Kal, are you goofing off or actually working?"

Kyle ignored his brother to send another message.

_Kal: Uh-oh, Lex is about to have a conniption. I should get to work._

_Ace Reporter: Yeah, me too. Listen, pick me up tomorrow night. My car's in the shop and you know what those as*holes are like. They tell me it's gonna take a couple of days which means it's gonna be out 'til Monday._

_Kal: What's wrong with your car?_

_Ace Reporter: Stupid alternator. I swear I just got that thing fixed six months ago._

_Kal: Why don't you just go to my mechanic?_

_Ace Reporter: I would, but I can't intimidate him like you can._

_Kal: I don't know. Bat those gorgeous eyes at him or offer him sex, he'll do it for free._

_Ace Reporter: Eww, you're disgusting, Smallville.  
><em>  
>"Kyle, are you listening to me?"<p>

He looked up and stared at his brother. Lex had clearly been trying to discuss their latest case with him and he hadn't been listening to a word.

"Sorry, bro."

Lex scowled. "Get to work. And don't call me bro!"

"Gee, who put the stick up your ass this morning?" he muttered.

"I heard that!"

Kal quickly signed off his messenger and picked up the folder Lex had dropped on his desk, intending to read through the information the client had left on the bank robberies. He had no sooner looked at the first page when his super-hearing picked up the sound of an alarm.

He stood up, causing Lex to frown at him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Heard an alarm. I'll be back."

He quickly changed into his Blur gear and sped out, launching himself into the air. He focused his super-hearing, trying to pinpoint the source of the alarm, then descended, speeding into the bank which had clearly just been robbed.

It looked like the robbers had tripped an alarm. If the job had been done by the same people their client had hired them to look into, it looked like they might have missed this one. Or else it was another group altogether.

Kyle saw that the vault door was wide open and staff were standing around, looking perturbed. Yet he couldn't see any evidence of anyone having walked in to commit the robbery.

The sound of a police siren alerted him to the presence of Metro PD and he sped out again, spotting Lucas getting out of a plainclothes car. He paused, long enough for his brother to see him, then took flight again, returning to the office.

Lex looked up.

"What was it?"

"It looks like our guys. Vault was open and it looked like they tripped an alarm."

His brother frowned.

"That seems odd. If what Roberts was saying is true, they're getting in and out virtually undetected, so why would they now suddenly trip an alarm?"

The phone rang and Lex picked it up.

"Luthor and Lu ... oh, hey Lucas. Yeah, we'll be there."

He hung up and looked back up at Kyle.

"Let's go. Lucas wants to meet us at the bank."

"I'm driving," Kyle said, picking up his keys.

"Oh hell no. I'd like to get there in one piece," Lex retorted.

"My driving isn't that bad."

"Yeah, maybe if you were Schumacher." He grabbed his keys from the counter beside the coffee pot. "I'm driving."

Kyle sighed and followed his brother out of the office, waiting as Lex unlocked the Porsche and got in. Lex tended to drive at a more sedate pace in the city. It was only in Smallville that he drove a little faster.

They reached the bank within ten minutes. Lucas stood on the sidewalk, looking up and down, clearly waiting for them.

"About time you guys got here," he grumbled.

"Blame Lex. He's the one who drives like a grandma," Kyle returned.

Lucas snorted. "As opposed to you, you mean, considering you drive like you're at the Indy 500. Not to mention the fact that you defy the laws of nature."

"Do not!"

"Whatever! Let's get inside."

They followed him into the bank. Kyle was very glad he hadn't dropped out of super-speed when he'd been earlier as the staff were still milling about, trying to figure out what had happened.

Lucas led them over to a portly man with a comb-over.

"Mr Pachelli, I'd like you to meet my brothers, Lex and Kyle. They're private investigators."

The man, clearly the manager, looked flustered.

"Uh, I don't see ..."

"Their client has a vested interest in stopping these robberies as much as the police do."

"Who is the client?" Pachelli asked.

"Sorry," Lex said. "That's confidential information. Can you tell us what happened?"

"Well, like I told the detective here, we were all going about our business and suddenly the alarm went off. We saw the vault door was wide open."

Kyle let the men talk and went over to check the vault. Looking around, he saw what appeared to be a security system which sent something like a laser beam across the doorway. The beam would be broken in the event the vault was opened without being deactivated and the alarm would sound. Kyle figured this was the source of the alarm.

"We just had that installed on Monday," a voice said.

Kyle looked around and grinned at the pretty redhead. Her name badge said assistant manager.

"Monday huh?"

She nodded. "The bank's owner is kind of paranoid. He'd heard about the robberies in other banks and he didn't want to take any chances."

"One man's paranoia ..." he began, giving her a good look. She was definitely his type, if he wasn't so into a certain brunette. Still, there was no harm in flirting with her, especially if she turned out to be a good source of information.

"So, uh, what time do you get off?" he asked, flicking his gaze up and down her body. Lois would probably want to murder him but what the hell. It wasn't like they were actually dating.

As he made a dinner date with Carol, he felt as if eyes were on him and looked up to see Lois glaring at him from the doorway. Lucas was arguing with her.

"This is a crime scene, Lane. You know you reporters aren't allowed ..."

"So why are they here?" she asked, nodding at Lex and Kyle.

"I don't need to explain myself to you. Get back behind the tape."

"Listen Lucas, I've known you since you were screwing every girl in your freshman college class ..."

"What's your point?"

"C'mon, this isn't fair!" she pouted.

"Don't try that trick with me," Lucas told her. "You know who invented that trick? Kyle's been trying that on us since he was four years old. It never worked with him and it ain't gonna work with you."

"Fine!" she hissed with gritted teeth. "But you can expect a call from my editor if I don't get the story."

"Don't even try, Lane," Kyle told her, coming to stand beside Lucas. "You know he's a stubborn ass when he wants to be."

Lucas glared at him. "Watch it, little brother, or I might just have to ban you from the crime scene."

Kyle stood over him. Lucas wasn't a small man by any means, but Kyle still towered over him.

"Little?" he said.

"I can still pull out the big guns," his brother grinned. "I have Mom on speed dial."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh please, have you forgotten you never dare a Luthor? Or did you forget the time you dared me to jump off the mansion roof?"

"I cannot believe you're still ragging on me for that. I was six years old."

"You were supposed to catch me, nimrod!" Lucas said dryly. "Instead I broke my arm. In two places!"

Kyle raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Fine. You win." He went outside, taking Lois' arm. She tried to shake him off, scowling at him.

"Kyle, c'mon, can't you talk to him or something? I need to go back with a story."

"Right now, there isn't one except to say that it looks like they got clean away."

"You think there's a connection between this robbery and the others all over town?"

"You know I can't tell you that." She looked at him. "Client confidentiality, Lane."

She snorted. "Client confidentiality, my ass." She sent a pleading gaze to him. "Come on, throw me a bone here."

"Lois, you know I would love to, but I can't right now. Lex and I only just started investigating the case so we don't have much to go on. Look, I gotta get back to work before he has my hide."

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Call me later?" he prompted.

"Yeah, okay." She sighed, sounding despondent. "You know, between you two and the Blur, I don't know who's worse."

"What do you mean? What's this about the Blur?"

"He used to call me all the time and now, it's like ... like he doesn't even care."

"I'm sure he cares, Lois. He's probably just busy. Like I should be."

Lois shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Meet me at McGinty's at six, unless you're too busy flirting with Miss Assistant Manager."

"You jealous?"

Lois snorted and sent him a glare. "Me? Jealous? Pigs would have to fly, hell would have to freeze over and you would have to be the last man on Earth. Even then I'd have to think about it."

"That's not what you said the other night," he told her, repeating verbatim what she'd said to him about how he could blow off a hottie like her.

"I'm gonna take the Fifth on that," she told him, wrinkling her nose. "See you later."

XXXXX

Lex's conversation with the manager didn't offer any clues as to what happened, but Lucas did manage to get the bank's surveillance, promising to send them a copy.

The manager seemed uncomfortable with their involvement, which instantly raised Lex's suspicions, but he wasn't going to judge just on appearances. The man could just be more worried about what the bank's owner would say, considering what he'd overheard the assistant manager telling Kyle. Unlike most of the banks in the city, this one was privately owned, not corporate.

Kyle came back in after presumably talking Mad Dog Lane down. Lex hid a grin at that thought. She hated the moniker but she really was like a dog with a bone when it came to getting stories.

"What are you smirking at?" Kyle asked.

"Nothing. Let's get to work."

Ignoring the staff still milling around, despite the fact the manager had told them the bank would have to be closed for the rest of the day, Lex guarded his brother's back while Kyle used what he called his micro-vision to examine the scene. Lucas also did his part by distracting the staff and making sure the uniformed officers were busy taking statements.

Lex made notes of staff they would need to talk to, like the security guards. Usually the first assumption was the security guard had been paid to look the other way. The second was that the guard was either a retired cop or someone who had failed the strict Police Academy entrance requirements. That made them sloppy, in Lex's book.

"Anything?" he muttered sotto voce.

"Nothing that stands out," Kyle answered.

"You guys about done?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah," Kyle said, straightening up. "I didn't see anything noteworthy."

"Well, maybe Red can clue you in on a few things," Lucas said with a smirk, clearly having missed nothing.

"What?" the youngest Luthor asked.

"Nothing. It's just ... you always go for the type."

"What type is that?"

"You like women with a certain look. I mean, yeah, Alicia was the exception but then she had more in common with you. You, and even you, Lex, you always go for the same type."

"What's wrong with that?" Lex asked.

Lucas shrugged. "I dunno. I'm just shooting my mouth off. So, call me if you dig up anything. I have to get going. Shel's got her first ob-gyn appointment and if I'm not there I'll be sleeping in the doghouse."

Kyle made the sound of a whip and Lex smirked at his brother.

"Yeah, real funny, Kyle. I don't see you complaining with the way Lane has you wrapper around her finger."

Kyle's smirk rapidly disappeared.

"She does not."

"Liar, she so does."

"Does not."

"Whatever. You're so whipped you don't even know it."

Kyle scowled at Lucas and turned, walking away in a huff. Lex shook his head at his brother.

"Lucas, how many times do I have to tell you?"

"Hey, you're the one who wants to get them both to wake up. I'm just ..."

"Pushing it," Lex finished. "We'll see you tomorrow, Lucas. Don't forget to send me that copy of the surveillance."

"Consider it done."

Kyle was quiet in the car on the way back to the office.

"You okay?" Lex asked.

"Fine," his brother said, shrugging.

"Look, I know it's rough ..."

"How the hell would you know? How long is it since you actually went out on a date?"

Lex chewed on his lower lip, thinking about it.

"Hmm, let's see, last Tuesday ..."

"Well, that's not so bad."

"Would be two months since I stopped trying."

"Great," Kyle sighed.

"Kal, come on. Why the hell don't you just ask her out? Like to a football game, or a monster truck rally? You know how big a fan she is of them."

"First, Lois hates football. Second, I hate monster trucks. It's a lose-lose situation."

"You know, no one said being in a relationship is easy. It takes compromise. Sometimes you have to go along with something they want, even if you don't like it."

"I really don't need dating advice from Mr Celibacy here. Seriously, you should have been a monk for all the action you get. Besides, in case you missed it, I have a date tonight."

"Yeah, with the assistant manager, who you'll only be pumping for information."

"That may not be all I'll be pumping," his brother said smugly.

"It's not wise to lead them on, Kal," he admonished.

Kal sighed. As Lex turned into the parking space and gently depressed the brake pedal, Kal got out, not even giving the car time to come to a full-stop. Just as he started to head toward the office, he paused, canting his head.

"Great."

"What is it?"

"Crash up on the I-90. Sounds like a bad one. Might take me an hour or so."

"Go. I'll get started writing up my notes. By the time you're back, Lucas might have sent the surveillance footage."

"Yeah. Thanks Lex."

"No problemo," he grinned.

As he watched his brother take off he sighed. Something was bugging Kyle and he was sure it had everything to do with Lois. Had she said something?

As much as he wanted to pursue that, he had work to do. Lex entered the office and sat down at his computer, pulling out the notes he had made at the crime scene and began writing them up.

An hour later, Lex was watching the news broadcast from the crash on the expressway. Kal had been dead-on when he said it was bad. There were six cars involved in the pile-up. At least two people were dead and another three were critically wounded. Emergency workers had reported the Blur being on the scene but hadn't given the reporter any more information than that.

He looked up at the sound of footsteps and Kyle came in, looking dishevelled. There was blood on his shirt and grease on his face. He looked devastated.

"You all right?" Lex asked.

His brother shook his head. "There was a baby in the wreckage. I ... I couldn't save her, Lex. She was already too far gone." He sat on the floor next to his desk, his head bowed. Lex heard the sniffle and knew his brother was crying. "All those things I can do and I couldn't save her."

Lex got up and crouched by Kyle.

"Look, I know it's no consolation, but sometimes no matter what you do, you can't save everyone. The important thing is that you try."

"Yeah, I ... I know. It just ... it gets to me, sometimes."

Lex got up and went to the cabinet behind the desk, pulling out a decanter and a couple of glasses. He poured a small amount of scotch in the glass, holding it out to Kyle.

"I know you don't drink it usually, but I think the situation calls for it."

"Thanks."

They drank in silence for a few minutes. Then Kyle got up.

"Did Lucas send the surveillance?"

Lex frowned. "Let me check."

He went to the computer and checked his email. Sure enough, there was a file waiting to be downloaded. He clicked it and waited for it to download, then opened it.

"Here we go," he said.

Kyle stood looking over his shoulder as they watched the footage. All seemed reasonably quiet in the bank, until a few minutes before ten, which was when the alarm had gone off.

"What's that?" Kyle asked, pointing to a glitch in the footage.

"Some kind of electrical interference, maybe?" Lex suggested.

He clicked back on the timeline and went over it again, pausing it right as the interference began.

"Seems odd," Kyle observed. "I'm not sure it's interference as much as a gap in the feed. I don't know what's caused it though."

"Yeah," Lex agreed, frowning.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Lois plopped down on the barstool, putting her bag on the top of the bar.

"Beer," she said, her tone short and snappy.

The bartender huffed.

"Gee Lane, normally I get an entire sentence from you, and then some. Rough day?"

Lois glared at him.

"The worst!" she grumbled. "Gimme some pretzels too, Eddie."

"Please?" he prompted.

"Thanks," she returned, finally breaking out into a grin.

He bent to take a bottle of Heineken from the chiller and put it on the bar, his hand still on the green bottle. Lois reached out to take it and he pulled it away.

"Uh uh, money first."

"Gimme the beer, Eddie!" she demanded.

"No money, no beer!"

With a sigh, Lois took a bill from her purse and slapped it on the bar. Eddie took it and rang it up, slapping her change back on the counter.

"Cheap shot," she returned.

"I know you, Lane. You'll do your best to wriggle out of your tab."

She rolled her eyes. "That's because Luthor always pays. Speaking of who ..."

"Whom!" the bartender corrected.

"Oh excuse me, Mr Grammar Police!" she snorted.

"At least my English Lit degree wasn't a total waste," he smirked.

"Yeah, so why are you a bartender, bartender?"

"You got a smart mouth, Lane!" the man replied.

"You weren't saying that when we were dating," she retorted.

"Yeah, that's six weeks I'll never get back again."

Lois pouted, but Eddie just laughed, handing her a basket of pretzels.

"As I was saying, where is that asshole?" Lois asked.

"Gee Lane, didn't know you cared," Kyle said behind her. He sat on the stool next to her and nodded at Eddie. "Usual."

"Comin' right up," Eddie said, handing him another green bottle. Lois frowned.

"How come you don't make him pay up-front?"

"Because I know he's good for it."

Kyle rolled his eyes and pulled out a fifty.

"Here. For the tab I no doubt will be running up tonight."

"Thanks man."

Lois looked Kyle over. He'd changed his clothes since she saw him last. Instead of the business casual he wore on the job, he'd opted for a plaid shirt and jeans.

"I thought you had a date tonight? What's with the wardrobe malfunction?"

"This happens to be a nice shirt," he said, patting his chest.

"Sure, if you're going to a rodeo! Where are you taking Miss Thang?"

"We're meeting at Le Roux."

"Oh la dee dah!"

Le Roux was an exclusive restaurant in what Lois called the snooty end of town. Clearly Kyle was wanting to make a good impression on the bank's assistant manager. Lois snorted to herself. He would never fool the girl by pretending he was just a down-home country boy at heart.

"Jealous, Lane?" he asked, sipping his beer.

"You wish. So what kept you anyway? Preppy make you stay after school?"

"We were working on the case, if you must know."

"Working on the case, huh? This is the case where you refused to even give me the time of day, let alone just a snippet for my story."

"Okay, what crawled up your ass and died, Lane?"

"Charming!" she told him. "If you must know, Perry chewed me out for missing the Blur at that pile-up today."

Kyle frowned in sympathy.

"That's hardly your fault," he said, his tone a little softer. "I mean, he's called the Blur for a reason."

"How do you know the Blur's a he?" she asked. "For all you know it could be a girl."

"Jesus, you're argumentative today. You need to get laid, Lane."

She batted her eyelashes at him.

"Well, the hordes would line up for a crack at me, but they're too scared of stepping on your toes."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked sharply.

Lois sighed inwardly. He would never get it. I mean, she thought, what do I have to do? Hit him over the head with a cartoon anvil. Not that it would hurt him, or knock some sense into him. Not even a real anvil would do it, she told herself.

She was fairly certain Kyle didn't know that she knew his secret. Not all of it, she was sure, but part of it. She'd tried to hint a few times about it, but Kyle could be pretty dense when he wanted to be. Maybe she'd been too subtle.

She'd discovered he was the Blur by accident. She'd been on a date with that creep Lombard at a local diner when she'd heard a commotion in the alley. Lois had gone out to investigate and saw three guys being knocked around pretty badly by someone who was just a blur. There had been a young girl cowering by the dumpster, clearly having been attacked. The Blur had knocked all three guys unconscious, then paused long enough to check on the girl's welfare. Lois had caught a glimpse of his face in the meagre light from the streetlamp above and it had been just like that night seven years earlier when she'd found him naked in a cornfield.

Kyle had sped off, none the wiser, obviously having heard a siren as the police turned up about a minute later.

Everything about Kyle had begun to make sense. Lois had found article after article detailing his exploits in Smallville. Knowing what he could do certainly explained things. She still had a ton of questions for him. Like if he could superspeed everywhere, then what was it like driving a car? Did his powers mean he was too strong to be with a woman and was that why he kept shying away from that subject?

She wondered if perhaps it was her. That he just didn't want to be with her. Sure, she thought, I'm totally into my career, but that doesn't mean I don't want a relationship with the right guy.

The more she dug up on Kyle and the Blur, the more confused she was about their relationship. Did he think they were better off friends, or was it that he was afraid of putting her in danger. God knew, Lex had certainly had his fair share of run-ins with meteor freaks.

Face it, Lane, she told herself. Maybe he's just not that into you.

"Hey, you awake?" Kyle asked.

"Oh, yeah. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"The story," she said quickly.

"Oh, the story. Well, I hate to break it to you Lane, but I'm not even sure there is a story yet."

"C'mon, Kyle. A bunch of guys break into a bank vault and no one knows how they did it. There's definitely a story there."

"And you know I would never leave you out of it on purpose," he told her. "I told you, when we have something, you'll know about it."

"You promise?"

"Have I ever broken a promise?"

"You really want me to go there?" she asked with a glower. He'd broken a lot of promises over the years, but she had to admit that when she needed him he was always there.

They continued to drink their beers, talking about other subjects. Lois managed to rant about Lombard and what he'd done and by the time Kyle got up to leave her bad mood had almost gone. They had their ups and downs but he always seemed to make her feel better after even just an hour in his company.

She sighed as she watched him leave, checking out his ass in the jeans. Damn, but he had a fine ass, she thought.

"I don't know why you don't just sleep with him and be done with it," Eddie commented.

She huffed. "What would you know?"

"I see the way you make goo-goo eyes at him."

"I don't make goo-goo eyes," she told him, cringing.

"Right," he said sarcastically. "Look Lane, I know you guys have been friends for years but you are never going to get him to take you seriously this way."

"I don't want to wreck the friendship."

"You're a wuss, Lane," he snorted.

"Am not," she muttered.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Fine. You're not. But you are."

"Shut up."

"Great comeback, Lois."

"Look, you don't get how it is."

"Then tell me. I mean, what's a bartender for if you don't tell him your troubles."

"I dated you for six weeks. I'm not about to spill my guts to an ex."

"The whole time we were dating all you could talk about was Kyle fucking Luthor."

"His middle name isn't 'fucking'. It's ..." She frowned. "Does he even have a middle name?"

"You're weird, Lane. Look, my point is, you're making yourself miserable by not taking that step. Maybe it will ruin the friendship, and maybe, just maybe, it will make it better. You don't know until you try."

XXXXX

Kyle met Carol at the door of the restaurant. She looked him up and down, frowning at his clothes. He knew what she was thinking, but he didn't care. He'd been coming to this restaurant for years and the staff knew him pretty well.

No one even batted an eye when he walked in with the girl, leading him to his regular table.

"I've never been here before," Carol said, blushing.

"Trust me, you'll love the food. The chef makes this delicious parmigiana which melts in your mouth."

"I'll take your word for it," she smiled.

"Wine, Mr Luthor?" the waitress asked.

"A glass of your house red, please," he told her, then looked at Carol. "What would you like?"

"Oh, I think I'll have the same."

The waitress nodded and went to get their drinks, leaving them with the menu.

"So, tell me, how long have you been working at the bank?"

"A couple of years. I just got promoted to assistant manager a month ago."

"You're young for such a responsible position."

"I've worked hard for it," she said, visibly bristling, sounding like she thought he was implying something else.

"Look, I'm not implying anything, I think it's great. I mean, I thought I was paying you a compliment."

"Oh." She seemed to relax a little. The waitress returned with the wine and they looked through the menu. "You know, I think I'll try the Parmigiana, since you recommended it."

"I'll have the veal piccata," Kyle said.

"So, you and your brother. You're really private investigators?"

He nodded.

"That must be an interesting occupation," she said.

It was too bad, Kyle thought later, that for all the girl's attractiveness, the conversation hadn't been all that interesting. He'd managed to get one tidbit out of her that might give them a lead on the case, but other than that, the evening hadn't exactly lived up to its promise.

Of course, schmuck, it couldn't have anything to do with Lane and her bad mood earlier, could it, he berated himself.

Why oh why did he let the woman get to him anyway, he thought. It wasn't like she was ever going to see him as anything but a friend.

Still, one thing about the earlier conversation with the woman he considered his best female friend bothered him. He decided he needed to remedy that and at least ease his conscience.

Using the modulator and scrambler Lex and Oliver had come up with, he dialled the familiar number.

"Hello Miss Lane."

"It's you."

Her tone was sharp, which meant she was still angry. At least at the Blur this time and not him. Which was kind of weird, since he was the Blur. He groaned inwardly. A guy could develop a complex with all the different personalities.

"You know, there's a way you treat a woman. It's called respect."

"Lois ..."

"No, I don't want to hear it. You've been A.W.O.L. for weeks and now you suddenly decide to pick up a phone?"

"Look, I tried ..."

"There is no try, Skywalker."

"Lois!"

God, the woman could be exasperating! When he could get a word in edgewise, he figured he would just apologise for his silence and let her rub it in. The truth was, he was worried that the more contact he had with her as the Blur, the closer she could get to figuring out the truth about him. He was just trying to protect her.

The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Lois and if she knew the truth about him, she would probably become a target for every kook in town out for his blood. God knew, Lex had just about paid the price. It hadn't been long after his brief Red-K fuelled sojourn in Metropolis that Lex landed in hospital with what seemed to be a heart attack. Fortunately, the problem righted itself in time. Kyle thanked his lucky stars that Lex had been exposed to the meteor rock; probably the only time he had ever been grateful for that, since his brother healed quickly. Jor-El had suggested that Lex's mutation had changed him enough so his body could cope with the powers. If it had been anyone else, Kyle doubted they would have survived it.

Chloe and Oliver had been the only others to learn his secret. With Chloe, it had been Alicia who revealed the truth and Oliver had been dating Lois at the time when she'd got herself into trouble, forcing both him and Oliver to go after her. Chloe at least had managed to avoid serious danger, but still, there had been moments when he'd worried about the impact of his secret on her.

Lois finally calmed down long enough for him to talk.

"So, what happened today?" she asked.

He told her about the baby he'd tried to save. She seemed sympathetic as he basically poured out his heart to her.

"Look, I know this is no consolation, but you just have to remember that you're not perfect. I mean, you have all these amazing abilities and that's great, but you're not a miracle worker. I mean, my dad, the general, always says 'too bad, how sad, never mind, carry on'. I mean, okay, it sounds kind of harsh but you do have to pick yourself up again because if you don't, well that's when you start to lose hope. That's the thing. Maybe you don't realise that's what you do for people. You give them hope."

He didn't know what to say after that. She'd given him a different perspective. It didn't change what had happened but it did make him feel better about what he thought was his failure.

"You still there?"

"Yes, I'm still here. Thank you, Lois."

"Anytime. So, uh, have you heard about these bank robberies?"

He got the impression she was settling down on her bed for a nice long chat.

"Yes I have. I'm trying to figure out how they are managing to get in virtually undetected."

"They didn't today. They set off an alarm."

That had clearly been unexpected for the thieves. Kyle had learned from Carol that she had seen a couple of guys come in to the bank the week before, acting a little odd. It was her job to make sure all customers were looked after and the pair had waved away any attempts to help them. They'd been very interested in the vault.

That was before the alarm had been installed. The redhead had wondered if perhaps the men had been casing the bank. She'd promised to get the footage from that day so Kyle could look at it.

He finally hung up from Lois about an hour later, already in a better mood. There was just something about talking with her that helped ease the stress of a long and trying day.

Next morning he managed to get to work before Lex and had his favourite blend of coffee waiting for him as his brother walked in the door.

"Thanks dear," Lex said, grinning as Kyle handed him the mug.

"Cute," he told his brother.

"So how was your date last night?"

"Pretty much a washout. She did tell me she noticed something odd last week."

He told Lex exactly what Carol had told him. Lex frowned.

"I don't know. If they've managed to get in to other banks undetected, then my guess is they're pros. These two sound like complete amateurs if they were that obvious."

Kyle mentally smacked himself on the forehead. Of course, he thought. Why didn't I think of that? Lex grinned.

"There's a reason why I'm the brain and you're the brawn in this occupation. So anything else happen?"

"I had a few beers with Lois last night."

Lex looked up at him from his computer.

"And you're still alive?"

Kyle frowned at his brother.

"After what I saw yesterday between you and Lois, I'm surprised she didn't flay you alive."

"Funny, Lex."

"So what else?"

"Nothing," he shrugged.

"I hate it when you do that, Kal. You start with the middle of the story and leave out the rest."

"I just thought I'd mention it. You know what she's like when she's chasing a story."

"Yes, I know what she's like. I also know that the two of you drive each other crazy, not to mention you drive me crazy."

"What did I say?"

Lex sighed and leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee.

"Yesterday I got the impression you were upset about something Lois said. Last night you met her for a few beers. You couldn't have been that upset with her."

"It's just ... I don't know what to do anymore."

Lex snorted. "Let me tell you how this is going to play out. You'll drive yourself mad wanting her, then decide it's not worth the energy and Lana will be back on your doorstep wanting to try again batting her eyelashes at you and you'll fall for it. Like you always do. You're like a broken record, Kal."

"Am not!"

"Are too! Maybe I'm hardly the expert when it comes to women and God knows I've had my fair share of dating disasters but jesus Kal, you're just going to make yourself and everyone around you crazy if you keep wimping out all the time. Trust me. Tell her how you feel about her then leave the ball in her court. If she wants you back, she'll let you know. If I know anything about Lane, she's not backwards in coming forwards."

"Huh?"

"She's not shy about what she wants," Lex explained.

"It's not that simple."

"Yes, it is. I don't get why you have to make it so goddamn hard on yourself."

Kyle decided a change of subject was in order.

"So, what's the game plan for today?" he asked.

"I have a list of security personnel for each bank we need to interview."

"How are we officially handling this?"

"We'll play it cool for now. I've given each interview a timeframe of about thirty minutes. I cleared it with the bank managers."

It was going to be a long day, Kyle sighed. Still, Lex was pretty good at reading body language and that was usually the purpose of the interviews. Whoever said private investigating was thrilling work really didn't know squat, he thought.

By the time they finished their interviews for the day and returned to the office, it was almost six.

"Don't forget, Mom's dinner is at seven."

"How could I, with you reminding me every hour?"

"Don't exaggerate, Kal. Besides, need I remind you that you've spent the last five years avoiding her birthday?"

"Well, you know what she's like. She treats me like a kid, Lex. She's always pinching my cheeks and she's always trying to matchmake me with some girl."

"You know it's not just you. She's our mother. Mothers do that."

"Not every mother," Kyle said glumly, sighing. There was silence for a few minutes, then Lex peered curiously at him.

"What did you get Mom for her birthday?"

"I have to get her a present too?" he asked, staring almost in horror at his brother.

The other man stared open-mouthed. "Kyle!"

"Relax, big brother. I got her something. I was just messing with you."

"You little shit!"

"Yeah, I love you too." He picked up his truck keys. "I gotta go. Lois' car's in the shop and she needs me to pick her up."

"Well, it's little wonder with those back-street con artists she keeps taking it to. Why doesn't she use our mechanic?"

"She claims he won't give her a good deal, like he does with us."

"Of course we get good deals. We send a lot of business his way." Lex checked his watch. "I'll see you at Mom's then."

"Sure Lex."

Kyle drove to Lois' apartment and parked out on the street, dialling her number.

"Why can't you come to the door like every other date?" she grumbled when she picked up.

"Because this isn't a date, Lo. It's my mom's birthday. The only reason you got invited is because Mom thinks the sun shines out of you."

"Not to mention I'm the only one who can bully you into actually going to one of your mother's parties. I'll be right down."

He sat with the engine running, keeping an eye on the entrance. Knowing Lois, she would take her time and he was parked in a no-stopping zone.

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, glancing anxiously along the sidewalk, then glanced in the mirror. Oh great, he groaned to himself as a cop stopped behind him. Usually they didn't worry about simple parking violations, but it seemed the cop was taking an interest as he got out and approached the driver's door.

"Nice wheels," he commented. "You know you're parked in a loading zone, right?"

"Well, technically I'm waiting for a load."

"Let me guess. You're picking up Lane."

Kyle turned and stared at the cop, then heaved a sigh of relief.

"Jesus, man, you had me worried for a sec." He grinned at Mike Wachowski, who had been Lucas' partner the first couple of years on the job.

"If you were anyone else, Kyle, I'd have to write you up, but I'll let you off this time. Don't make a habit of it though."

"I won't," he promised, glancing around as the side door opened and Lois dumped something in the back.

"Wachowski," she growled. "You still trying to make your quota by harassing private citizens?"

"Watch it Lane! I could make up a dozen different violations that would get you booked for a stay at the poor man's Hilton."

She snorted. "Still mad because I dumped you?" She held her hand up and rubbed her thumb and forefingers together. "Let me get out my violin."

"Jesus Lane, how many hearts have you broken?" Kyle asked.

She snorted. "Yeah, you can talk Smallville! How many notches do you have on your belt?"

Mike sniggered. "Smallville?"

"Shut up, Wachowski," Kyle growled. "Lane, get in the goddamn truck!"

"Whoa, aren't we touchy tonight?" Lois retorted, but got in the truck anyway.

Kyle sighed. Yeah, this was going to be a long, torturous night. How did he ever let Lois bully him into anything, let alone going to his mother's birthday dinner.

Cause you're crazy about her, schmuck!

As he put the truck in gear and drove off he sighed again. If only he could just stop being such a wimp and ask her out already. At least he would know one way or the other.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Lex entered the house, frowning at the woman standing in the foyer.

"Mr Luthor, let me take your coat," she said.

With a shrug, he took off his coat and handed it to the woman. It seemed his mother was going all out for this party. Then again, he supposed she was entitled, since it was her sixtieth.

"Is my brother here yet?" he asked. He hadn't seen Kyle's truck outside.

"Mr Lucas is here, as is Miss Lutessa."

Lex grimaced. His sister had always hated that name.

"I meant Kyle."

"No, sir," she said. "Would you like me to inform you ..."

"No!" He softened his tone. "Thank you. I'm sure he'll be here soon."

"Of course sir."

Lex made his way into the parlour, seeing his sister's red head bobbing as she talked with another redhead. He frowned, then realised it was Martha Kent.

He snuck up on his sister and bussed her. She whirled, then punched him in the shoulder.

"Jerk!" she said fondly.

"Hey sis," he replied, kissing her on the cheek. He smiled up at Martha and leaned over to kiss the older woman's cheek as well. "When did you get here, Tess?"

"Last night. Oh, there's someone I want you to meet." She leaned over to tap a tall man on the arm. "Darling. Come and meet my older brother."

The man turned and Lex put on a smile. The other man was about an inch or so taller than him, with dark brown hair and an olive complexion.

"Hi," he said, putting out a hand. Lex took it politely and shook. "James Reynolds. Tess has told me a lot about you."

"All good I hope," Lex answered.

The other man nodded, giving Tess a one-armed hug. She looked up at him lovingly.

"Definitely," he said. "I'm only sorry it took so long for us to be introduced. I'm afraid my life can be rather hectic."

"James owns a small company in Miami."

Lex frowned. He'd recognised the name as soon as James had introduced himself. Reynolds Aeronautics was hardly a small company, since it was the leading manufacturer of privately owned jets in the entire state of Florida.

"Lex, sweetheart, there you are."

He turned and looked at his mother. Her once glorious red hair was streaked with grey, but she had never even considered dyeing it.

"Hi Mom. Happy birthday."

He handed her the gift he had bought for her, submitting to her kiss.

"Come and meet a friend of mine," Lillian said, dragging him away from his sister and her fiancé.

Lex groaned quietly, wondering which socialite she had decided to set him up with this time. He let himself be led to the far corner of the room where a tall, willowy brunette stood sipping a glass of champagne.

"Jacqueline, darling, this is my son, Lex."

Again, he groaned. He'd met Jacquie Jurgenson years ago and the meeting had not gone well. She had been a model then, contracted by a fashion magazine and they had been doing a shoot at Princeton. Lex, along with a few of his classmates, had been recruited as background for the shoot.

Jacquie was beautiful, there was no denying that, but Lex had overheard her talking about him with one of her fellow models and thought she was rather shallow, based on what he'd heard.

"Who's the bald kid?" she asked.

"Dunno. Heard he came from a small town in the mid-west."

"Great. Would be just my luck to get lumbered with him for the shoot. Why's he bald anyway?"

"What are you asking me for? How the hell should I know?"

He looked at the woman now. Her beauty had matured somewhat and she was not as stick thin as she had been all those years ago.

"Jacqueline is the assistant editor of In Style magazine," his mother was saying.

"Really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the woman.

"Yes, really," she said coolly.

Lillian patted him on the shoulder.

"You two play nice now," she said. "Your brother just walked in with Lois."

He looked at his mother incredulously.

"You mean he actually came?" he said.

"Well," she laughed, "I knew Lois would get him to come. She's always had a way with him."

"Mom," he warned. "Don't go trying any of your matchmaking tricks. Let them work it out themselves."

His mother tried for an innocent look.

"Darling, would I do such a thing?"

"You know you would. Behave, mother!"

She waved a hand at him and went off to talk to Kyle and Lois. Lex turned back to Jacqueline.

"I take it she doesn't know about Princeton," he said.

"You clearly know your mother very well."

He groaned. "She does this," he sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Forget it," she said. "How have you been, Lex?"

"Oh, fine. You know how it is. I admit I'm surprised you went from modelling for the magazine to editing it."

"Well, I had to do something after the agency decided I was too old to model for them."

He grimaced. "Sorry."

She shrugged. "It sucks, but what are you going to do? The industry's not likely to change overnight. So, I'm guessing by your mother's ill-disguised attempts at match-making that you're not married either?"

"Divorced. You?"

"Same. All I can say is, thank goodness we never had kids as he turned out to be an utter asshole."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm not. Now I guess you could say I'm footloose and fancy free and I like it that way."

As they chatted, he found himself enjoying the conversation. She was certainly not as shallow as she had once appeared to be and turned out to be an extremely intelligent woman.

Kyle, meanwhile, was doing his utmost to keep away from his mother. Lois, however, kept him from escaping with a firm hand on his arm. Lillian greeted him ebulliently.

"Darling, there you are. I was wondering when you were going to show up."

"Sorry, Lillian, that was my fault," Lois said. "I was running late."

"Well, none of that matters, sweetheart."

Lois handed her a small package. "Happy birthday."

Kyle coughed and handed his own gift over.

"Yeah, happy birthday, Mom."

"Thank you darling. Why don't you two get some champagne and mingle. Oh, I invited Jason. He's somewhere around here with a rather charming young lady. What was her name? Oh, never mind. Anyway, dinner will be in about half an hour."

He fought the urge to roll his eyes. It wasn't that his mother was scatter-brained. She just tended to go from one train of thought to the next and it was often hard to keep up.

"I guess we better go mingle," he said with a sigh.

"There's Jonathan and Martha," Lois pointed out, making a beeline for the older couple. Kyle let himself be dragged along.

He greeted the farming couple warmly, asking after Clark, who was in college. The youngest Kent had earned himself a basketball scholarship to Kansas State, which of course, had made his father very proud. He had majored in political science and had decided to continue on to earn his Masters degree.

"So is Clark here?" he asked.

"He's studying," Martha said. "You know he takes his studies very seriously."

Kyle recognised the look from the older woman. She had tried to convince him to go to college, and had thoroughly disapproved of his decision not to continue with his education.

He left Lois chatting happily with the older couple and located the bar which had been set up at the far end of the large room. He saw Lex chatting with a gorgeous brunette and spotted Tess talking with Lucas and Michelle. Lucas had a hand on his wife's back in what some would have assumed a proprietary gesture, but Kyle figured it was more a protective thing than anything else.

"Hey man," Jason said beside him. Kyle looked at his friend.

"Hey. Mom told me she invited you."

"Yeah, you know your mom. She doesn't take no for an answer."

There was an attractive woman standing next to Jason, looking a little unsure of herself. His friend smiled at the woman, handing her a glass of orange juice.

"Danielle, this is my friend Kyle Luthor. Kyle, this is Danielle."

Kyle noticed the girl was a little overweight, but in spite of the extra weight she was the kind of woman he would have asked out.

"Hello," she said softly. "Jason's told me a lot about you."

"Hi," he said, shaking her hand. "So, how did you meet this loser?"

She laughed, relaxing as she smiled at Jason.

"Actually, I'm a client at his gym. I work out with one of the other trainers."

Kyle cocked an eyebrow at his friend, then leaned forward, speaking in a low voice.

"This is the chick you told me about? What happened to ethics?"

Jason shrugged. "I figured life is too short to worry about that. It's like you said. It's not like I'm actually working with her."

"Well, good for you," he said.

"Now if you would only man-up and ask Lane out."

"Jay ..." he began, but was interrupted by the announcement that dinner was served.

Kyle found himself seated next to Lois, while Lex was seated next to the brunette he'd been chatting to. Kyle shared a grin with his brother. Mom and her match-making, he thought.

"What's so funny?" Lois asked, nudging him.

"Nothing. Never mind."

She sent him an odd look, but just sighed, turning to talk to Jonathan and Martha. Tess was talking to her fiancé, James, practically glowing. Kyle was genuinely happy for his sister. She seemed completely in love with the handsome man beside her and he seemed just as besotted with her.

Tess caught him watching and smiled. He raised his glass to her in a brief toast and she answered it with her own glass before exchanging a soft kiss with her husband-to-be.

Lex got up from the table, tapping his glass with a fork.

"Since I'm the eldest of the Luthor clan, it's my duty and honour to toast the birthday girl. Happy sixtieth birthday Mom. We just want you to know how much we love and respect you and we wish you many more years ahead."

"Thank you, darling," Lillian beamed. "It's so nice to see all my children together."

Kyle caught the subtle hint but said nothing. He watched as Lucas got up.

"Let me echo Lex's sentiment," he said. "Michelle and I want to wish you many happy returns. And we also have our own announcement. You're going to be a grandmother."

Lillian gasped in surprise and delight, getting up from the table to approach her second son and his wife, hugging them both.

"That's such wonderful news, darling," she said happily.

"Do you know what you're having yet?" Tess asked.

"When are you due?" Lois interjected.

"'In five months and no, we don't know yet," Michelle said. "We're having another scan in a couple of weeks and we might find out then."

"You know, I read about this theory," Lois began, "that the way to tell if the first child is going to be a boy or girl is by looking at the father's father. I mean, if the oldest child in the family is a boy, then you're more than likely to be having a boy first. I mean, I don't know how that works, exactly, but ..."

"Well, I did read this theory that it is the father's chromosomes that determine the gender," Lex said.

"Darling, we really don't need a discussion in science or gender politics at the table," Lillian admonished.

Kyle grinned at his brother. Lex always did have a bad habit of going into lecture mode when a subject came up which allowed him to show off. The woman beside him rolled her eyes.

"Geek," she said, coughing into her hand.

Lex turned to glower at her.

"And it starts ..." he said. "You had such potential, too."

"Oh, in your dreams, pretty boy," she shot back.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Pretty boy?" he said with a glare.

"Well, even I have to admit, you're a lot hotter now that you've actually grown into your looks. When you were sixteen, you were hardly cover boy material. Especially with those big ol' ears." She was clearly teasing as she grinned at him.

Lex spluttered, turning red. Kyle couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrassment. Probably a little of both.

"She's right you know," Tess said. "You did have big ears when you were sixteen. They did kind of stand out. My friends used to call you 'Dumbo' behind your back."

His eyes widened. "Dumbo? Why you ..."

"It's a joke, Lex," Lucas said. "Lighten up."

Kyle heard his mother grumbling to Jonathan and Martha as an argument broke out between Lucas and Lex. She was complaining her children couldn't be in the same room for five minutes without fighting.

He sighed. This was why he tended to avoid family gatherings. It was hard enough working with Lex sometimes. They did tend to bicker a lot.

Lois threw down her napkin and got up, moving around the table. She grabbed Lex by one ear and Lucas by the other.

"Ow! Lane, I swear ..."

"Ow, jesus ..."

"Quit it!" she told them. "Kiss and make up and start acting like the mature adults you're supposed to be!"

She let them go, glaring at them fiercely.

"Well said, Lois," Michelle replied, glaring at her husband. He flushed guiltily and sat down beside her.

"Damn, Kyle, your girlfriend can be one tough b ... woman," Lucas amended hastily.

Kyle choked, feeling himself grow hot.

"She's not ..." he began but shut up when Lois shot him a look before returning to her seat.

"Your family is crazy, you know that right?" Jason murmured.

"Yeah, look who's talking," he murmured right back to his friend.

He felt a smack on the back of his head. It didn't hurt but it still startled him. He looked around at Lois.

"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his head for effect.

"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you."

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Women! I just can't win with you, can I?"

"This is a newsflash how?" she asked.

Laughter erupted around the table. Even Jason's date couldn't hide her giggles. Kyle stared at the other guests, wondering what was so funny.

Dinner was over and Kyle was wandering around the house. His mother had bought the place when she'd decided to move back to Metropolis permanently. It wasn't as big as the Luthor mansion he'd first lived in until they'd moved to Smallville, but it still had five bedrooms.

He paused in the hallway to study a picture on the wall, taken when he had been about seven. Lex had been just about to enter high school.

"I remember when that was taken," his mother said. "You boys were always so full of mischief. The photographer had a terrible time getting you to sit still and only Lex could make you. You worshipped your brother in those days."

"Yeah, I guess I did."

"I know I don't say it, darling, but I am proud of you. Both of you."

"You were so mad at me for choosing not to go to college."

"No, I wasn't mad at you, sweetheart, just worried. Still, you and Lex have made a success of your business and I'm glad."

She took his hand and pulled him over to the window seat.

"Come and tell me what's been happening with you. I feel like we haven't had a chance to talk lately."

"Mom ..."

"Now, I know you think I'm being a nag, but I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy, Mom."

"Are you? Sweetie, I know you're out there helping people, but what about yourself? You can't just live for the job and not take some time for yourself."

"Mom ..."

"Are you seeing anyone?"

"No. I broke up with Lana. Well, actually, she dumped me."

"I never thought she was right for you, Kyle. You need someone, more like, more like Lois."

"Lois?"

"Sweetheart, you're not fooling anyone. It's obvious you have feelings for her. Why haven't you told her?"

"You know why. If she ever found out my secret, she'd be a target."

"Baby, that's just silly. We all know about you and have we ever been attacked?"

Maybe she had never been, but Lex had been the target of quite a few crazies in the past.

"Lex ..."

"Lex doesn't count. Well, he does, but that's not what I mean. Besides, I think that has less to do with you and your secrets and more to do with his being a Luthor. Your father wasn't exactly a good man."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she held up a hand.

"No, listen to me. I know you decided a long time ago that it wasn't worth the risk, but if you don't take any risks then you could miss out on something wonderful. I'm going to tell you something. Something I have never told anyone else. Not even Lex."

He frowned at her, but listened.

"A very long time ago, I fell in love with a man. A good man. He was handsome and strong and so unlike your father. He begged me to run away with him but I was already engaged to Lionel by then and your grandfather, god rest his soul, thought it was a good match. You see, the man I fell in love with was a poor man. If I had gone with him, I would have been risking everything. I regret that to this day."

"Wow, Mom! I didn't know. What happened to him?"

"He married another girl and they now live in California. I may not have been happy with your father, but I had you and your brothers and sister and you are all the light of my life." She reached up and brushed his hair back. "Baby, all I'm saying is, if you don't tell Lois how you feel, if you don't take a chance, you could end up regretting it. Even if she says no, at least you'll know for sure."

He hugged her.

"I love you, Mom," he said.

"I love you too, baby. Now go on and enjoy yourself. You don't have to keep me company."

She watched him leave, then sat back on the window seat, a little smile on her face. Lois stepped out of the shadows.

"That's good advice," she said softly.

Lillian looked up at her.

"Well, someone has to knock some sense into him. Into both of you."

Lois had to admit that Lillian was one shrewd woman. She had known for years that Lois had feelings for Kyle but Lois hadn't known for sure it was mutual. Getting Kyle to admit it, at least, to her, was going to be another thing entirely, she thought.

Kyle was quiet on the drive back to her apartment and Lois wondered if perhaps she had upset him.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just tired."

"If you want to talk about it ..."

"I don't." He sighed, clearly realising he'd been a bit harsh. "Lo, I'm sorry. It's just, family gatherings can be kind of draining."

"Are you sure that's all it is?" she asked as he pulled up outside her building.

"Yeah. Really, I'm just tired, that's all."

"Okay. Well, thanks for the ride. You know, your mom was so happy you came tonight."

"Yeah, I know." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Goodnight Lo. Sleep well."

"You too."

She got out of the truck and waited on the sidewalk as he drove away, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip. It seemed as if his mother's little talk had given him a lot to think about. The question was, would he take her advice on board?

When she got into work the next morning, Perry called her into his office.

"How was the party last night?" he asked.

"It was nice," she said.

She was rather fond of her boss, even if he could be a bit gruff at times. Perry White was very much an old-school journalist, who had earned his stripes working in what he called the trenches. He had begun his career in the early seventies, at the height of the Vietnam War and had joined the ranks of those protesting against sending young men off to fight.

While he had reluctantly joined the modern era, he still believed in good old-fashioned legwork and sources rather than using the Internet to dig up dirt.

"I have a new story I'd like you to check out," he said.

"Chief, what about the bank robberies?" she asked.

"Face it, Lane, you've been able to get zip on that so far. Besides, this will take you a couple of days at the most."

"What is it?" she asked, sighing, taking the folder he handed her.

She read through the information. There was a couples' retreat, not too far from Smallville. Three couples had gone to the retreat, only to have vanished without trace.

She frowned.

"Perry, this is a retreat for couples with relationship issues."

"So?"

The older man clearly didn't see a problem with that.

"Well, I suppose I could go undercover as a staff member," she replied.

"You do what you have to do, Lane. I'm sure you'll figure something out."

Sighing, Lois went to her office and began reading through the material. Each of the three couples had been together for a while, but had apparently been having difficulties in their relationships. According to the file, they had each been seeing the same counsellor who had recommended the retreat as a way for them to reconnect.

Apart from kitchen staff, most of those employed at the retreat were qualified therapists. That counted her out on both ends. She couldn't cook and there was no way she could pass as a psychologist. Which left her with one option.

Great, she thought. Just where was she going to find someone she could at least stand to be around long enough to be able to investigate the place?

Her phone rang and she picked it up.

"Lane!"

"Hey, it's me. You wanna have lunch?"

"Sure. Where? Tea room?"

"No. Why don't we try Eduardo's? I've never been there but I hear the food is good."

"Isn't it expensive? I'm broke."

"You're always broke, Lane. It's on me."

"Is this a date, Kyle?" she asked, unable to resist the little jibe.

"It's just lunch, Lane. Don't make a federal case out of it."

"Gee, touchy," she said. "I'll meet you there in about an hour, okay?"

"Sure."

She spent the next hour researching the retreat and trying to figure out a way around the not-so-small hurdle of not having a partner. She might have asked someone like Lombard, except for the fact she wasn't speaking to that story-stealing no-good jerk!

She still hadn't come up with a viable solution by the time she remembered the lunch date and left the office in a hurry. When she got to the restaurant she realised she needn't have bothered. Kyle was late. Again!

"Can I help you, Miss?" the hostess asked.

"Um, Lois Lane. I'm meeting Kyle Luthor here."

"Oh, he just called and said he's going to be a little late. If you like, you can take a seat at the bar. We're not full so we can seat you both as soon as he comes in."

Lois smiled brightly. She'd worked as a waitress while in college to help make ends meet and knew what it was like to have demanding customers.

"Thank you. I will."

"This way, Miss Lane," the woman said, leading the way to the bar.

Lois ordered an orange juice, wanting to keep her head clear since she still had work to do on another of the stories she was working on. It wasn't unusual for her to be working on at least three stories at the same time.

Kyle came in about twenty minutes later, looking a little dishevelled. Lois caught the acrid odour of woodsmoke and guessed he'd been helping at a fire. While she'd been waiting, she had been checking the emergency services alerts and had seen there was a three-alarm fire at a building downtown. It would be just the kind of thing the Blur would be unable to ignore.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, kissing her cheek.

"It's okay," she answered with a smile. "You're here now."

The hostess led them to a table and handed them menus.

"We have a nice selection of wines," she told them.

"Thank you, but since I have to go back to work, I'd rather have a clear head."

"I'll stick to water," Kyle told her. "Thank you though."

"So," Lois said, opening the folder to look at the menu. "What's up?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to have lunch with you."

"Oh. Okay. What have you been up to this morning?"

"We had a few interviews with some of the bank staff we needed to finish up. We got back some of the footage from the Metro-West and Lex is checking that."

She frowned at him. "What about the footage?"

"There was something missing. We had one of our contacts in forensics take a look at it to see if they could figure out what had happened."

"Missing?" she asked, curious.

"When we were looking it over the other day we noticed there was a gap in the feed. We have no idea what caused it though, so Lex got one of his forensics buddies to analyse it."

"This is about the ... what, sixth bank they've hit in as many weeks?"

"Yeah. We think they might have some kind of power, but we still have no idea how they're getting in undetected. Lex and I have been going over some old stuff from Smallville to see if there might be a connection."

"Why Smallville?"

"Well, we thought it might be a meteor power. I mean, it's just hypothetical, but ..."

"I guess it's as good a place to start." She put her menu down, having decided what she was eating. "Um, so how did your date go with the manager?"

"She was nice, but she didn't have a lot of information." He looked at her evenly. "And before you ask, no, I didn't sleep with her."

"I didn't think you did, considering how early you got home," she said, then bit her lip, mentally kicking herself. He'd called her as the Blur less than three hours after he'd left her at the bar so he clearly hadn't had time for anything other than dinner. Still, he didn't know that she knew. Stupid, Lois, she told herself as he stared at her. "I mean, Lex must have mentioned it last night."

He still stared at her. Fortunately the hostess returned to take their orders and it gave her time to recover.

"So, um, this morning Perry assigned me another story," she said as soon as the hostess had left to give the cook their orders.

"Another one? How many do you have going, Lane?"

"Far too many," she groaned. "Some days I don't know how I keep up."

"So why do it?"

"Well, sometimes my stories fall over, or I'm waiting on further information. Anyway, he asked me to look into this retreat just out of Smallville."

"A retreat?"

She nodded. "It's for, uh, couples who are having relationship issues. It seems to have gotten some pretty good reports from the couples who have been. Some say it's revitalised their relationship."

"So why is Perry interested?"

"Well, there are three couples who went who have never been heard from again. He thinks there might be something sinister going on."

Kyle frowned. She could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

"You're not ... thinking what I think you're thinking are you?"

In all honesty, it had occurred to her to ask him but she had dismissed it, knowing he was busy with the bank robbery case. Still, he was the only guy she trusted.

"Kyle, you're the only one I can trust with this. I mean, Lombard stole my story right out from under me and Troupe ... he's good, but do you really see him and me as a couple?"

"No."

"You and me, we know each other so well!"

"I can't exactly drop the bank robbery case, Lois."

"It'll only be for a few days," she said. "They have a retreat next week. Besides, you can still chase leads on the robberies."

She adopted what she called the 'puppy-dog' look, knowing it would get to him.

"You make it really hard to say no when you look at me like that, Lane."

"Then you'll do it?" she asked.

He sighed heavily. "All right. I'll clear it with Lex, but if we get a lead on these robberies, then I have to go."

She nodded. "Of course." She leaned over the table and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you, Smallville! You just saved my bacon!"

He blinked at her in surprise, sitting back in his chair. Lois felt her lips tingling from the kiss. She hadn't meant to do it, but somehow it had felt so right.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Kyle checked in with his brother later that day.

"One of the security guards we had down to interview on Monday turned up dead," Lex told him.

He frowned. "What?"

"Lucas called and told me Homicide had the body. He was apparently mugged outside a local bar."

"Which one?"

"It's called the Hog."

"Really?" Kyle snorted.

"Yeah, really. It's not far from Suicide Slums. You want to check it out?"

"Sure, but we should take my truck. You don't want the Porsche to get damaged in that neighbourhood."

"My thoughts exactly. Pick me up in about half an hour. I just need to go over a couple of things."

"Anything turn up on the video?"

"They didn't manage to find anything unusual except for exactly what you saw. A gap in the feed."

"Well, why don't I give Carol a call and see if we can look at the equipment?"

"Good idea."

"Uh, there's something I need to talk to you about," he said.

"Can it wait until later?"

"Sure."

"So, I'm not at the office. I figured if we're going into the type of bar I imagine this place to be, I should dress down." He was at the apartment they usually kept for when they needed to work late.

Kyle snorted again. Lex's idea of dressing down was not wearing a tie. Lex didn't comment.

Half an hour later, he parked outside the building, watching as Lex emerged, talking animatedly on his cellphone.

"I'm shallow? Pot meet kettle," his brother was saying as he got in the truck.

He was wearing what appeared to be black jeans and what looked like an army-style green flak jacket, with aviator sunglasses.

Kyle could hear a woman on the other end of the phone.

"Jacquie, I have to go. No, really. I'm not blowing you off. Kyle and I have a case we're looking into. Look, I promise I'll call you." He hung up and looked unrepentantly at Kyle.

"I didn't say a word," Kyle said. "But Jacquie?"

"The woman is a pain in the ass," Lex said.

"You've known her less than twenty-four hours."

"What's your point?"

Kyle looked at his brother. Lex had disappeared shortly before lunch and hadn't said a word where he was going, but Kyle had seen his brother scribble something on his notepad.

At the party the night before, Lex had seemed very taken with the beautiful brunette, although from what Kyle had heard, the pair had spent much of the rest of the evening bickering.

"Just drive, Kal," Lex said.

Shrugging, Kyle pulled out into traffic and drove the thirty or so blocks to the south side of the city. Suicide Slums was what the locals called an area of the city that, to most, was not only the poorest, but most dangerous part of town. Its official name was Hobbs Bay. Crime was rampant. Intergang controlled a large percentage of the criminal gangs in the area and even Kyle was virtually powerless against them. He would manage to take out one gang leader only for another to take his place.

The bar was about two blocks from the slums. The building itself appeared to be rundown. Lex would certainly never be caught dead in such a place. Kyle pulled up in the parking lot next to a rusted, beat-up pick-up. He glanced at his brother as he got out of the truck, noticing the gun on Lex's hip.

"Expecting trouble?" he asked.

"Always be prepared."

Kyle sighed. Yeah, be prepared, he thought. That definitely meant trouble. He grabbed his leather jacket from the backseat and put it on, glancing around uneasily but unable to see anything that might suggest exactly what trouble they were walking into. While he didn't need to carry a gun, he took his own 9mm from the holster he'd stuck to the bottom of the driver's seat.

The bar was full. There was a jukebox playing some kind of music which sounded less like music and more like someone being murdered. Kyle liked a variety of music but this was definitely not to his taste.

Lex sauntered up to the bar, apparently ignorant of the many stares from the men drinking. Kyle fought back a grimace. The place stunk of stale beer and piss. He passed a waitress who looked like a reject from Hooters with stringy hair and t-shirt and short skirt that was so short it barely covered her ass. Kyle had been in strip clubs that showed less than that.

Lex immediately began talking to the woman tending bar. She had huge breasts which stretched the t-shirt she was wearing and a cigarette in her mouth. Lex grimaced but was clearly trying not to cough at the smoke blown in his face as he talked. The woman's face showed complete indifference. Kyle frowned. These people didn't seem to care that there had been a murder there the night before.

He stopped one of the waitresses as she passed with a hand on her arm.

"You hear about the guy who was killed near here last night?"

She scowled at him. "Lots of people get killed around here. What do I care?"

A man got up from one of the tables. He was taller even than Kyle, and just as muscular. He had what appeared to be a gang tattoo on his arm.

"This guy bothering you, Darleen?"

Great, Kyle thought. He knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Hey, I'm just trying to ask the girl a question."

"Yeah, well we don't like you comin' in here asking questions, so why don't you fuck off?"

Sighing, he knew there was no other way to handle this.

"Make me," he challenged, pushing his jacket aside to show his gun.

The taller man shoved his own jacket aside to reveal an even bigger gun.

Kyle snorted. "Oh, so it's mine is bigger than yours, is it?"

The man laughed as if it was a huge joke, then lashed out with his fist, punching Kyle in the stomach. He gasped and drew back, clutching his hand, staring at Kyle in shock.

Another man got up, thinking he could take them on, moving toward Lex. Kyle quickly stepped in front of his brother, grabbing the two men and lifting them into the air, throwing them halfway across the room.

A third man also tried to punch him but Kyle caught the fist in his hand, grabbing the man by the throat and threw him back. Then he pulled out his gun. Lex had pulled out his own.

"Anybody else?" Kyle growled. It reminded him of the night he'd met Jessie in the Wild Coyote and taken on four guys.

The music had stopped and the bar had fallen into an eerie silence. Lex swaggered up to one of the men who stood watching warily.

"Now, you look like a smart guy. All we want to know is, what you know about the guy who was killed outside here last night. So, how about it, tough guy? You want to tell me what you know, or do you want to go a round with my brother here?"

The man stammered. "Uh, you might wanna talk to, um, Floyd. He knew the guy."

"Where would we find this ... Floyd?" Lex asked, brushing dust off the man's jacket with the barrel of his gun. The other man flinched.

"East and Seventh. He lives in an old warehouse."

"Great," Lex smiled. "That's all we needed to know."

As they left the bar to return to the truck, Lex smacked him on the back of the head.

"Geez," he said, turning and scowling at his brother. "First Lane, now you."

"Ever hear of discretion, Kal? What if those idiots finger you as the Blur?"

"One, they're not that smart," he said, opening his door. "Two, they're not that smart."

"That's one thing said twice," Lex pointed out.

"Whatever!" Kal got in and started the engine. "Get in the goddamn truck, Lex."

He drove to the location, which was four blocks east of the bar. There was only one warehouse on the corner of East and Seventh and it had clearly been out of use for a long time. At least, by the company that had apparently owned it.

"Metro Pharmaceuticals," Kyle read on the rusty sign. "Wonder what kind of pharmaceuticals."

"Hell if I know."

They got out of the truck, looking around before heading to the heavy door which had clearly once led to the loading dock. Lex held his gun, looking uneasy. Kyle focused his x-ray vision and checked out the interior.

"There's three of them," he whispered. "All standing around a table."

"Can you hear anything?" Lex whispered back.

Ever since his super-hearing had developed, Kyle had had a habit of turning his head, focusing his gaze away from the location of the sound, as if that would help him concentrate better. Lex watched as he zeroed in on it.

"I'm telling you, we shouldn't have got rid of Sonny."

"You know the cops'll never find us," another voice was saying.

"It ain't the cops I'm concerned about," the first man said. "It's the Blur."

"Floyd, man, you're paranoid. Not even the Blur comes down here."

"You know, that's what Mannheim said before the Blur had him sent up to Stryker's."

"Mannheim's an idiot. He got too cocky thinking the Blur couldn't touch him. Besides, we got one thing on our side."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"We know the Blur's weakness. Right kid?"

The voice that answered was someone Kyle had never expected to hear from again. He focused his vision once again on the scene, this time dialling back on the power just enough to see the men rather than their skeletons. One of the men looked very familiar. Almost ten years older but still familiar.

"God," Kyle said softly. "I thought he was in Belle Reve."

"What is it?" Lex asked.

"Van McNulty."

"The kid who tried to kill us? Back in your junior year?"

Kyle nodded. "Yeah. It looks like he's working with them. He knows my weakness Lex. He knows Kryptonite can kill me."

"Okay, okay. Then we need to come up with another strategy. We can't just barge in there without scoping it out properly. If that is McNulty, then it's more than likely he'll have meteor rock somewhere around."

They retreated back to the truck where they could talk without fear of being overheard.

"So, new plan. We track down McNulty. Try and dig up some of his records from Belle Reve and find out when he was released. They should also give us some clue as to where he's been living."

"Then what, Lex?"

"One thing at a time, Kal. If we take McNulty out of the equation, that might even up the odds a bit."

Kyle sighed. His brother had a point. As impatient as he was to solve the mystery, it was the nature of the work. It might look exciting on-screen, especially in the television shows he'd watched as a kid about private detectives, but the majority of their job was legwork; talking to various sources and studying endless paperwork.

When his brother wasn't quoting the great philosophers, he was often quoting someone like Churchill or Thomas Edison who had once proclaimed genius was one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. He wasn't kidding, Kyle thought.

"Anyway, I'm thinking we should stake out the warehouse. Maybe use that old clunker of Lucas' he was always trying to fix up. If we can get Floyd alone, we might be able to get him to talk."

"Uh, yeah, Lex, I'm not sure I'll be able to do a stake-out. I kind of promised Lois I'd help her with a story she's investigating."

Lex arched an eyebrow at him.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it's this retreat thing Perry asked her to chase up. In Smallville. Well, sort of." He quickly filled his brother in on what Lois had told him.

Lex bit his lip as he appeared to consider the situation.

"Well, I don't really need you to help me watch the place, but I'm sure you could zip back at a moment's notice if I did need you."

"Sure, Lex. Of course I would."

"I mean, knowing Lois, she's bound to get herself into trouble, and it's not something she can do on her own. You did say it was for couples."

That seemed to settle it. They decided the first hurdle was keeping McNulty away from the warehouse. Lex told him he would research that on his end the next day.

Lois had left a message on his voicemail telling him to pick her up around noon on Sunday so they could drive to the retreat. She had already organised it through the counsellor, without giving away that she was a reporter.

Lex, being the workaholic he'd always been, often went into the office on a Sunday, even if it was for only a few hours, while Kyle, who usually spent his Saturday nights out with friends at popular nightspots or out with a date, rarely went in, unless they were working on a big case. That was the problem with their job sometimes. It was hell on their social life.

Kyle reluctantly left his brother to his research into Van McNulty, driving to Lois' apartment just before noon to pick her up. She came out, carrying two suitcases. He rolled his eyes.

"Jesus Lane, we're not going on a tropical cruise!"

"Vital supplies," she told him.

He glanced at the duffel bag he'd packed and dumped in the back of the truck. All he'd packed were a couple of pairs of jeans and flannel shirts. He wasn't even expecting to be at the retreat that long.

He got out of the truck and picked up the suitcases, putting them in the back, while Lois got in the passenger side. When he got back in the truck, she handed him a small box. Opening it, he saw a gold ring.

"Gee, Lane, you shouldn't have."

She rolled her eyes. "We're pretending to be a married couple, dork!"

"I knew that!" he retorted. "Don't you know when I'm yanking your chain?"

She grumbled, putting on her seat belt then folding her arms over her chest.

"If you can't take this seriously ..."

He frowned at her, wondering why she was being so sensitive all of a sudden.

"Lo, I said I'd do it and I'm here, okay?"

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine!" she snapped. "Can we just go already?"

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence as Kyle drove out of the city. Lois didn't want to admit it, but she was feeling a little guilty about the whole thing. It wasn't that she didn't think there was a story, because something did sound odd about the vanishing couples, but it was the fact that she'd asked Kyle to go with her. Part of her had hoped that she could use the time to perhaps get her friend to open up to her. Maybe, she had thought, this would be a chance for them to explore their feelings for one another.

Of course, even after what she'd heard on Friday night, she wondered if perhaps she was reaching, reading something that wasn't there.

Hence the guilt.

By the time Kyle was driving down the dirt road leading to the retreat, an old summer camp for kids which had been extensively renovated and re-opened, Lois was wondering if she had made a huge mistake in asking him to help her with this. He hadn't said a word to her the whole drive.

As he stopped the truck, parking alongside a similar looking truck, she touched his arm.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" he said flatly.

"I guess I've been a bitch lately. I'm just a little on edge, that's all."

"Why are you on edge?"

"I don't know. I guess, ever since Lombard, I ... the thing is, I still don't know how I could have let him steal my story from me. I mean, I'm better than that. I guess I just thought he really cared about me and maybe I just got so caught up in the idea of being with someone who felt that way about me that I just let my guard down."

He reached out and took her hand.

"Lois, Lombard was never good enough for you. I mean, notwithstanding the fact that he's a grade-A asshole anyway. You deserve better than that."

"Why?"

He frowned. "What do you mean, why?"

"Why do I deserve better?" she asked quietly.

"Lois, you're beautiful, brilliant, passionate. You care enough to take a stand when you feel an injustice is being committed. Lombard, well, he was a fool if he put a story above all of that."

She sat, stunned by what he'd said. Kyle was usually the type of guy who didn't wax poetic, but that had been the most beautiful thing he'd ever said to her. Maybe there was hope for them after all.

Kyle suddenly looked up. A man and a woman were standing in front of the truck.

Lois got out and approached them.

"Sorry. Looks like you two were having a rather intense discussion," the man said. "I'm Greg." He nodded at the young woman. "This is Daisy."

"I'm Jo and this is my husband Kal," she said, gesturing toward him. She'd decided to use her middle name as a cover and Kyle had suggested using the name Kal as his cover.

"Oh yes, Stephanie called us about you. We're very glad you've decided to give our retreat a try."

Lois waited while Kyle grabbed the bags and they followed Greg and his silent companion along the path to the cabin they'd been given. It appeared a little rustic, but it was somewhat isolated from the others. Greg explained that they preferred to house any new couples in cabins that were further away as discussions between them tended to be rather 'intense'. Lois read that as arguments.

They were given about half an hour to settle in before they had to go up to the main building to be introduced to the others in their group. Lois spent that time unpacking, unsurprised to hear Kyle complaining every step of the way about how much she'd brought. She wrinkled her nose at him.

"Yeah, well what kind of message are you trying to put out, Smallville? Brawny lumberjack?" she asked, fingering his flannel shirt and scowling at him.

"Hey, I figured if I'm gonna be stuck here for a few days, I might as well be comfortable."

His tone kind of stung and she lashed out without thinking.

"You said you'd do it, don't make it sound like I dragged you here kicking and screaming."

He looked annoyed.

"I know I said I'd do it, don't twist my words."

"I'm not twisting your words. You're the one who complained about being 'stuck here'."

"Whatever!" he snapped.

So much for the temporary ceasefire in the hostilities, she sighed as they left the cabin and walked up the hill to the main building.

Since the so-called therapy sessions didn't start until Monday, the group had been given the rest of Sunday to get to know each other. Lois was rather annoyed that an attractive woman about the same age as them both immediately latched on to Kyle and started chatting with him.

She continued trying to monopolise Kyle's attention all through dinner, sitting next to him at the big table, ignoring all other attempts to draw her into conversation.

Kyle, for his part, didn't seem to be discouraging the woman's obvious attempts to flirt. Lois had never really been able to tell when her friend was just being friendly or when he was flirting, since they tended to sound the same when it came to the Luthors, but she continued to watch, getting more and more aggravated.

What really got her riled was the way the woman tried to touch Kyle. He was hers and she wasn't going to stand for it. The woman's husband approached, trying to look intimidating and acting like a jerk. As soon as the man hauled the other woman away, Lois grabbed Kyle's arm.

"What the hell was that?" she hissed.

He frowned at her. "What is what?"

"That. You and Miss Flirty Pants."

He scoffed. "What? Don't be ridiculous!"

"You were flirting with her."

"I wasn't flirting," he protested. "I was just being friendly."

"Well, she was flirting with you." Her voice changed to a breathy tone, almost girly. "Oh Kal, you're so big and strong. Oh, Kal, you're so handsome. God!" she huffed.

He took her arm and led her outside, out of hearing of the others.

He smirked at her. "I get it. You're jealous!"

"Jealous?"

"Because I was paying attention to a woman who wasn't you. Did it ever occur to you that she was just wanting to talk to someone who wasn't a jerk?"

"Well, that rules you out," she said snottily.

"Are you calling me a jerk?"

"That, and more."

"All right," he said, huffing. "Let's hear it. Why don't you tell me what you really think."

She growled.

"You know what? I really hate you sometimes. You can't even see what's right in front of your face. You can't even tell when I'm ... you know what, forget it. I'm sick of this. I've tried to be subtle, but you can't be subtle with a guy who basically needs a piano dropped on his head before he gets it. Not that that would hurt you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

She turned away from him. "Nothing. I don't want to talk about it." She started walking back toward the building. He blocked her way, moving so quickly she wondered if he'd used his super speed.

"Oh no, we're going to talk about this. I want to know what you meant."

"I said forget it. Besides, I don't want to play second fiddle to your adoring public."

"What adoring public?" he said, sounding genuinely perplexed. Lois rolled her eyes and glared at him. How could he not know about the thousands of followers he had on Twitter, gushing about his exploits?

"You don't even read your own press, do you?" she hissed, going against her better judgment. She'd decided earlier she was going to wait until he was ready to tell her but she was already so riled it was like her mouth was moving faster than her brain.

"As usual, Lane, you're not making any sense at all."

"I know you're the Blur!" she blurted.

He gaped at her, clearly trying to make sense of what she was saying. What seemed to be a hundred different emotions flitted across his face as the truth began to dawn on him.

"What?" he said.

"Don't even try, Luthor," she said in a low voice. "I saw you. You were saving a girl from being attacked one night outside a diner. The same diner where I was having dinner with Lombard."

"Lois ..." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "How long have you known?"

"A few weeks," she admitted.

Kyle knew this wasn't the ideal place to talk about him being the Blur. He scooped her up in his arms and sped off with her to the mansion, figuring it was the closest, and took her up to his room. She was breathless when he finally put her down, holding her to steady her as she got her bearings and realised where they were.

"Did you just ..." she asked. He stayed silent for a few moments to give her time to adjust.

"Why didn't you say something?" he said finally, running a hand through his hair.

She sighed.

"I thought about giving you time to tell me the truth yourself. I mean, I tried to give you hints. I guess I was being too subtle because obviously I need all the subtlety of a sledgehammer."

Kyle thought back over the past few weeks. She had been saying odd things lately but he'd put it down to her bad moods, which she'd seemed to have a lot of recently. He supposed that was his fault as well.

"Well it explains a lot about how you seem to be so pissed at me lately."

"Can you blame me? God, Kyle, I've been trying to talk to you for weeks and you just don't seem to get it."

"Well, it's not like you make it easy either, Lane. Sometimes you can be so closed-off that I don't know if I'm coming or going with you."

"I'm closed off?" she growled, her voice rising an octave. "Listen to who's talking!"

"There's a good reason why I chose never to tell anyone about me," he said.

"Tell me, because I really want to know."

"If you knew, then every crackpot wanting my blood would come after you."

"And how would they know that I know? Do you even hear how stupid that sounds? And who died and made you the boss of me?"

"Lois ..."

"No, you listen for once in your goddamned life. You don't get to choose what I know or how I do my job! I can take care of myself!"

"Right. You take such great care of yourself I'm saving your ass more often than not!"

"Screw you, Kyle Luthor, just because you're some meteor freak, it doesn't mean ..."

"I'm not a meteor freak," he said quietly, cutting her off mid-rant.

She looked at him, blinking rapidly. "You're not? But how did you ..."

"I came down with the meteors, Lois."

His greatest fear when he told someone the truth was that they would reject him. As he watched the emotions flit across her face, he wavered between staying put and running away, yet he stayed, dread causing his stomach to flutter.

"You mean you ..." she said.

"I'm not from here, Lois," he told her hesitantly. "I was born on another planet. It's called Krypton. Well, it was."

She frowned. "What do you mean was?"

"It, uh, it blew up. I'm the only ... uh, I mean, there's my cousin, but ... we're all that's left."

She turned away, lifting her hand to her mouth. She was clearly chewing on a nail, which she tended to do when she was nervous, or worried about something. Kyle fidgeted, every instinct telling him to run, his stomach in knots. This was always the worst part. Waiting while the information sunk in. Waiting to see if they would either laugh in his face or call him a freak and refuse to speak to him again.

"So, you're alone here," she said still not looking at him. "How did you ... when did you ..." She didn't seem to know what to say.

"My mom showed me the ship when I was ten. I got so upset I ran away. That was the day I met you on the beach."

She turned around again and stared at him, her eyes wide.

"You mean ..."  
><em><br>"You're kind of weird, you know that?"_  
><em><br>"Yeah. That's me. Freaky Kyle Luthor."_  
><em><br>"Hey, I didn't say it was a bad weird."_

"Yeah. It was funny. After I met you, I didn't feel so alone. It was like you understood me."

"Kyle," she said, sounding almost tearful.

"Lois, I ..."

She approached him slowly, reaching up to brush his cheek.

"You don't have to say anything," she said. She stood on tiptoes, touching his lips with hers.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. Lois didn't resist, opening her mouth so his tongue could slip inside, exploring every part of her mouth. She moaned softly, clinging to him, her body pressed against his. He could feel her body heat rise and it started a chain reaction in him, the blood rushing below.

Without thinking, he pushed her against the wall of his bedroom, kissing her harder, taking everything she had to give. Lois didn't seem fazed by it, kissing back just as hard, her fingers pulling at the buttons of his shirt. One button popped off and went flying but he ignored it, pulling at her shirt.

Somehow, she managed to turn them around so he was now pushed against the wall, their movements becoming more frantic as they finally let out all the pent-up feelings which had just grown in intensity over the years. Neither one of them spoke, too intent on getting what they wanted from the other.

Kyle groaned as Lois rubbed herself against him, creating friction which was already torturous; he was hard enough to hurt. She seemed to feel it, glancing down, then back up at him, her eyes almost black, her pupils dilated with lust.

He felt her hands roving over his chest, barely able to control his desire. Kyle pushed her away, just enough so he could undress her, hurriedly pulling off the rest of his clothes.

He paused a moment to gaze at her. God, she's so beautiful, he thought, taking in the flushed cheeks, and the high, rounded breasts. Lois' chest rose and fell rapidly as if she was out of breath.

He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed, laying her down. She looked up at him, her expression so full of love he couldn't believe he had never seen it before.

"You're so beautiful, Lois," he murmured.

She reached for him, pulling him down to her.

"Kyle ..." she murmured back.

"Kal," he replied, but it didn't matter. All that mattered at that moment was the beautiful woman in his arms.

"Love me," she cried, arching her back and wrapping her legs around his waist. "I want you."

As he slid inside her, Kyle finally understood why none of his other relationships had ever worked. Lois fit as if her body was made for his. With her, it was like he'd come home.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Lex called Lucas and told him he was planning on staking out the old warehouse and seeing if he could corner Floyd, but his brother told him to leave it alone.

"I'll send some of my guys to check it out instead," he said.

"There's more, Luke. Remember that guy who tried to kill me and Kal in Smallville?"

"Which one? Seemed like you guys were targets every week."

"Ha ha, cute, little brother. I meant Van McNulty. I've been doing a little research. He's been out of Belle Reve for a couple of years now."

"I'll check him out. So where's Kal?"

"He's gone with Lois to investigate this couples' retreat out near Smallville."

"Couples' retreat?" His brother sounded sceptical. "You're not trying to set them up or anything, are you?"

"Okay, I admit it sounded like the perfect opportunity, but there is a genuine case. Chloe told me about it, so I contacted Perry and got him to assign the story to Lois."

"Damn, Lex, when you're determined to do something, you don't waste time, do you?"

"Well, I was sick of him moping," he said. He looked up as the housekeeper came in to tell him he had a visitor. "I have to go, Lucas. Apparently I've got a visitor."

He rung off, looking expectantly at the door. He was surprised to see Jacquie in the hallway.

"I was already halfway here so I thought I'd come by and see for myself what you like about this town."

He frowned, then remembered he'd talked a lot about Smallville when they'd had lunch together the day before. He had admitted to a certain fondness for the town.

"Well, I admit I'm surprised, but welcome."

For once, he thought later as they sat on the couch discussing every topic from favourite movies to philosophy, his mother might have actually been onto something. Jacquie was an interesting woman. He'd clearly misjudged her.

Jacquie had laughed when he'd told her what he'd overheard.

"I admit I wasn't the most tactful of people, but then again, I was barely seventeen when we did that shoot. Plus I was just starting in the modelling world."

They'd just started discussing Greek Literature when Lex heard a door slam and raised voices. He glanced at his companion then went out to the hallway, realising from the voices that Kal and Lois were arguing in his bedroom. Jacquie came out.

"Is that your brother and Lois?" she asked.

"Sounds like it."

"I thought you said they were working on a case out in the boondocks?"

He shrugged.

"Let's leave them be. I'm sure they'll work it out, whatever it is."

It fell quiet not long after that, making Lex wonder if they'd either argued themselves out or if something worse had happened. He excused himself and went up the stairs, intending to knock on his brother's door. As he got to the top of the stairs, he heard a series of groans and moans. It was fairly obvious what was going on.

He returned to the den.

"They're fine," he said. Jacquie arched a finely-sculpted brow, then must have interpreted his expression.

"Oh. Well, good."

XXXXX

Lois rolled over, her hand colliding with the solid muscle of Kyle's broad chest. She lifted her head and looked down at him sprawled in the bed. God, she thought. Why did it take me so long?

She was pleasantly tired, her body still tingling from their earlier lovemaking. She was sure if she got out of bed now her legs would be like jelly, but she wouldn't have refused him if he'd initiated another round.

As she lay with her head on his chest, a finger gently tracing around his torso, she thought about all the other men she'd dated. The funny thing was, they all, even Oliver, seemed to just blur into one and none of them matched up to the man who had made mad, passionate love to her just a few short hours ago.

She'd made so many mistakes with other men, but he was the one guy she wanted to get it right with.

A large hand captured hers and she lifted herself up on one elbow to see he was awake.

"Hi," she said, feeling almost shy.

"Hi back."

Green eyes twinkled brightly at her and she found herself grinning.

"Did you know you snort in your sleep?" he asked.

She sat up and shoved him. "I do not."

"Do so. It's cute!"

"Yeah, well you ..." Damn it, she really didn't have a comeback for that.

"I what?"

"Uh, you know, never mind."

"Great comeback, Lane," he teased.

"Ooh, you are so obnoxious, Smallville!" she growled.

He stared innocently at her. "Me? Obnoxious? What about you, Lane?"

"What about me?"

"Let's see, how about bossy, for one?"

She punched him in the shoulder. "You take that back!"

"Hell no!"

"I am not bossy!" He snorted. "Take it back, Luthor, or I swear I'll ..."

His hands grabbed hers as she tried once again to punch him. He was clearly not using all his strength as she did feel some give. It was scary and almost exciting at the same time that here was a man who could break her in half as soon as look at her but chose not to.

"Do you surrender?" he asked with a teasing grin.

"No way," she told him. "There is no way in hell I'm ever going to give an inch to a stuck-up, spoiled ..."

She never got a chance to finish as he had her on her back before she could blink, practically kissing the life out of her. Lois moaned softly as his tongue probed her mouth, making it clear he was in control.

She lay back as he slowly began exploring her body, his breath hot on her skin as his tongue mapped every contour, leaving her tingling with every touch. As much as she wanted to roll over and take control, this was definitely his party and she wasn't about to be the party pooper.

She was surprised when he rolled onto his back once again and pulled her up so she straddled him. His hands guided her so she was practically sitting on his head. Lois laid her hands flat on the wall to balance herself as his big hands grasped her thighs while he buried his nose in her sex. She'd always known Kyle was experienced, but she hadn't known just how experienced. Not that he'd struck her as shy, but he did tend to keep a few walls up.

Now that she understood about his secrets, she realised why he had put those walls up. He'd grown up thinking he was normal. Finding out he was an alien at ten must have been a huge shock to the system.

Focus, Lane, she admonished herself. After all, she had a hot guy practically feasting on her as if she was a gourmet delicacy and judging from the satisfied moans she could hear, he was enjoying every minute of it. She gasped as he delved deeper, his tongue thrusting almost aggressively, groaning as she began to feel the tremors of her approaching climax.

She'd barely come down from her sexual high before he was pushing her down on the bed and spooning behind her. She felt him nudging her already over-sensitive entrance and another tremor rocked her. Kyle lifted her leg, dropping a kiss on her shoulder as he thrust hard and deep inside her, making her gasp once again.

"God, Kyle," she moaned as his body rocked against hers. "Don't stop!"

"I don't plan to," he ground out, as if it was a huge effort to even speak_. _

They fell asleep, still entwined, not waking again until the sun began peeking over the horizon.

Lois sat up, gasping. Kyle reached for her.

"What's wrong?"

"We have to get back."

He frowned at her. "What?"

"The story, Smallville!"

He looked confused for a moment, then remembered. They still had a job to do and as much as they needed to talk about what had happened last night, Lois knew very well they couldn't just ignore the job.

He got up and handed her her clothes. What was left of them. Her blouse had been almost torn to shreds. He looked sheepish.

"Uh, sorry," he said.

"Never mind that," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the adjoining bathroom.

They showered quickly together. As much as she wanted to indulge in a marathon shower and enjoy the intimacy of them bathing each other, there wasn't much time.

Kyle dug in the closet and came up with a shirt he'd worn a few years ago. He was much more muscular than he had been as a teenager and the shirt didn't quite fit him. It was just a little bit big on Lois, but he decided it was better than the blouse he'd torn.

She grinned at him as he dressed her in the shirt, leaning forward to steal a kiss. He kissed her back.

"Hold that thought," he said. "Let's just get back to the retreat and see if we can figure out what's going on."

"You're right. We've got plenty of time to talk."

He slipped his jeans on, watching as Lois pulled her own up. She then wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hold on tight," he told her. "It can be a little disorienting at first."

She nodded and closed her eyes, laying her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and sped back to the cabin they'd been assigned.

His timing couldn't have been more perfect. Greg knocked on the door just as he let Lois go so she could regain her equilibrium.

"'Morning," Greg said. "Hope you slept well."

He glanced over at the bed, which Lois was pretending to straighten.

"Like a log," she said.

The other man frowned at her shirt, but said nothing.

"Well, breakfast is in ten minutes and then we have our first group session."

"Great," Kyle smiled. "I'm starved."

He noticed as they walked up the path that Lois hadn't changed her clothes. The shirt was still too big on her, but she seemed to like it that way, knotting the tail ends just under her breasts, giving him a sly look as the action revealed her toned stomach. He chuckled quietly to himself.

Kyle couldn't help but notice the looks they received from most of the other members of the group. They were clearly curious about the way he and Lois had left the night before but he didn't care. It had been an amazing night and so worth it. Sure, they still had a lot of talking to do, but that was something that could wait until they had got what they needed.

The woman who had flirted with him the evening before tried once again to get between them, but Kyle refused to take the bait. Hell, he couldn't even remember her name. He had to admit he had liked the way it had riled Lois up a little, but now it just was an annoyance.

Lois, on the other hand, was using the time at breakfast to talk to the other members and see what she could find out about the couples who had gone missing. He enjoyed the way she subtly questioned them, admiring her skill in steering the conversation without making it seem like she was doing so.

It had him thinking about the times over the past few weeks where she had been hinting that she knew more about him than he realised. It was as she said. When it came to his secret, she needed all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

By the time they'd all filed in to the main room for the 'group session', Lois had got to know practically every member's life story.

The owner of the property, who introduced himself as Joshua, was a good-looking man in his late forties. His profile had stated he was a marriage counsellor with about twenty years experience in the business. While he'd been divorced from his wife for almost that long, he'd claimed that it was what had inspired him to study the psychology of relationships. He hoped to be able to impart some of his own wisdom and prevent couples from making the same mistakes he had made.

Kyle thought much of that was just bull, but Lois seemed to think the man was genuine enough.

Until, that was, he stared at them from his easy chair, his expression almost one of distaste as he looked her up and down.

"Honey, do you hate your feminine side?"

"What? No!" she said, looking confusedly down at her clothes.

Kyle happened to think she looked kind of sexy in his shirt.

"She's very feminine," he said, thinking of the many times he'd seen her in dresses, especially at some of the parties they'd gone to together. Lois could wear a sack and could look sexy, but that was just his opinion.

The man sent him a sharp look and said something which sounded rather insulting to Kyle's ears about women who liked wearing men's clothing. That immediately got Lois' back up.

"Well, you know, I think it adds to a couple's intimacy. Besides, I wore this shirt because it smells like him. I like that. It feels like he's holding me even when he's not."

For probably the first time in his life, Kyle felt himself blushing as she looked at him under her long eyelashes. He couldn't tell if it was meant to be a coy look or something else but it certainly had him aware of the blood rushing from his brain to another part of his anatomy.

Screw this, he thought. He wanted to fly her off to some secluded location and make love to her for a month.

Lois squeezed his hand, reminding him of the reality of the situation. The other couples were staring enviously at them, most in total agreement of Lois' assessment.

She started to pull him toward a large pillow on the floor so they could sit.

"Oh no, let's stay standing. Since you're both new here, I'm interested in what brought you here."

"Uh, well, we've kind of been having trouble, uh, communicating," Kyle said, which wasn't too far off the mark.

"And why do you think that is?"

"Well, we've got busy lives and I guess we just kind of let work take over," Lois answered, clearly realising where Kyle was wanting to steer the conversation.

"See, that's what's wrong with relationships today. Communication. It's so easy to get caught up in your job that you forget to talk to each other. Even little things, like what's for dinner, or why is she wearing his shirts?"

It started a discussion between the other couples on how things like i-phones and email had changed the way people communicated. Couples broke up by text or email and people met in chat rooms rather than on actual dates. Kyle had to admit it was clever. The man had taken what had seemed to be a criticism and turned it into a talking point.

Kyle pretended to take an interest in the discussion, but meanwhile he was busy checking out the staff. He spotted Daisy from the day before. She didn't look happy to be here, which immediately made her someone they should talk to.

They broke for lunch. Lois was quickly surrounded by other women who liked the way she had spoken up. Kyle noticed Joshua staring at him, frown lines marring his forehead as if he was trying to figure him out. When the man caught him looking back, he appeared decidedly uncomfortable, getting up from his chair and leaving the room.

Kyle approached Lois and tapped her shoulder. She turned and looked at him, then excused herself.

"What?"

"We should go find Daisy," he said. "I noticed her watching during the session."

"Oh, yeah, you're right."

They walked out of the main building and along the path. He listened, hoping he might get an idea of where the staff were located.

"What are you doing?" Lois asked curiously.

"Listening."

She frowned at him. "Listening?"

He gazed at her. "Uh, I guess that's one of the powers you didn't know about."

"Um, no, but I would like to."

"We will talk about this," he said. "Just not now."

"Right. We have a job to do."

Kyle walked with her along the path, both of them appearing as a couple just strolling together, checking out the scenery. A couple with their relationship in crisis, getting to know each other again. Ironic really, he thought, that now that he knew Lois knew his secret, it wasn't too far off the truth.

Hearing Greg talking to one of his colleagues as they walked up the hill, he guided Lois off the path, backing her up against a tree, one hand on the trunk. She looked up at him, her forehead creased as she frowned, then she clearly heard the voices and relaxed, pretending they were having an intimate conversation.

The two men passed them, continuing to talk as if they hadn't noticed them at all. Kyle grinned and took her hand. Lois smiled back at him, clearly enjoying herself.

The sound of another pair of voices drifted up and he stopped walking, listening intently.

"I'm telling you, Dad, I don't know. They seem like a nice, normal couple."

"Listen to me, Daisy, I know there's something off about them. It is your job to find out what that is." Kyle recognised the other voice. It was Joshua.

"Dad, can't we just stop doing this? I don't feel comfortable with this anymore. I mean, what about those other people who disappeared?"

"You're not trying to quit on me, are you? I need you, Daisy. I need your skills."

Kyle frowned. What skills were they, he thought.

"What is it?" Lois asked.

He quickly related what he'd heard. Lois chewed on her lip.

"So, she's his daughter? I wonder what sort of skills he was talking about?"

"I don't know, but I think we need to do some digging to find out."

As they turned to start walking back, Daisy appeared.

"Mr and Mrs Kent, what are you doing here?"

"We were taking a walk," Lois answered. "It's beautiful here."

Daisy smiled. "Yeah, it is. I grew up here."

Kyle looked at her.

"Really?"

The girl nodded. "My parents lived in Smallville when I was born, but my mom moved away when they got a divorce." She frowned at them. "You know, I went to school with a Clark Kent. You're not related to him by any chance are you?"

Kyle shook his head, filing the information away for further reference. It had been Lois' idea to use the last name of Kent, clearly thinking no one would question it. That hadn't been one of her better ideas.

"No. It's probably just a coincidence. It's a fairly common surname."

"Oh," she said, looking intently at Lois, who kept her expression neutral. "You're right. So, where are you guys from?"

"Metropolis," Lois said quickly. "Kal's the VP of a company he and his brother own." She frowned at Kyle. "I swear it's like he's never home, it takes up so much of his time."

"What about you, Jo?" Daisy asked. "What do you do?"

"I'm a book editor," she lied. "You'd think it would be a pretty cushy job, but it's not. Not when you have deadlines and editing."

"I can imagine," Daisy smiled. "Well, I should get back. Break will be over soon and we have to start the new session. Don't be late."

"We won't," Kyle promised, watching her go. He pulled Lois aside. "That wasn't one of your better ideas, Lois."

"I know, I know," she said. "I guess I didn't research back far enough."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"Still, you'd think she would have told her father. I mean, if she noticed the name, what else has she noticed about us?"

"And why wouldn't she tell her father when he asked her?"

"Good question, Smallville. Guess that means we have to do a little snooping."

Kyle groaned softly.

"That means breaking into his office, doesn't it?" he said.

Lois chuckled. "How'd you guess?"

"You're trouble, Lane," he told her.

"You wouldn't have me any other way, now would you?" she returned.

He answered that with a deep kiss. She pulled back, her eyes wide, looking shell-shocked, but with a small smile playing on her lips.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The afternoon session was pretty much more of the same kind of discussion as the morning. Lois quickly became bored with it but tried to look as if she wasn't. Kyle clearly noticed, however, as he nudged her a couple of times. He seemed to be paying close attention but Lois figured he was listening for clues that Joshua wasn't what he seemed.

She had to admit that she admired Kyle for the way he could get the job done. It was no wonder he and Lex were successful as private investigators, and not just because of Kyle's abilities. Lex might be the genius of the family, but Kyle was no slouch either. He was great at the analytical stuff, but she supposed that had something to do with the fact that his mind could absorb things at the speed of light.

She was still trying to get her head around the things he'd revealed the night before. It was one thing to know he had abilities; it was entirely another to realise that those abilities were otherworldly. It was her fault, she thought, for assuming that Kyle was just another person changed by the meteors. It didn't change one iota of her feelings for him, however; well, maybe it did, but only in the sense that she loved him more.

There, she said it, she thought. She loved him. She'd been in love with him for so long it was just ... there. Like something she would think in passing but never express.

Still, as amazing as he was, she wondered why it had taken him so long to actually make a move.

Not that you ever really came right out and said it either, she told herself.

They broke once more for dinner and joined the others in the dining hall. Kyle was unusually attentive, pulling out her chair, making sure she had her napkin and the utensils. It almost felt like he was sending a message to the other couples. Like 'this is how you do it'.

Lois noticed the same woman from the night before and earlier that morning still trying to nose in, sitting on Kyle's other side. She shot the woman a look, ready to start a fight with her, but Kyle laid a gentle hand on hers and kissed her cheek.

"Don't start anything," he said in her ear.

"I won't if she won't," she murmured back.

"Behave, Lo," he whispered.

"What will you do?" she returned.

He sent her a wicked grin, his expression clearly suggesting that he had a few things in mind. She distinctly felt his hand on her thigh, brushing very close to her sex. Close enough to make her shiver.

Two could play at that game, she thought, dropping her hand in her lap and squeezing his hand. She glanced around, then put her own hand on his thigh, sliding it up to cup him. He shifted, clearly trying to move away from her hand. She shot him a mischievous look.

Dinner couldn't be over fast enough.

One of the other couples invited them to walk around the grounds with another couple, before heading to one of the cabins to talk, but Kyle begged off.

"We both have some work to do before we turn in for the night."

Joshua tut-tutted. "This is how couples get into trouble in the first place," he said. "Putting work before their relationship."

Kyle shrugged. "Yeah, I know, but unfortunately we don't all have the luxury of being able to take time off." He smiled and nodded at the group before taking Lois' hand and practically pushing her out the door.

As soon as they were out of sight of the main hall, he sped them to their cabin. Lois was breathless as he set her down inside the room, moving to her suitcase to find her phone, which had been banned from the sessions.

"I should call Perry," she said.

"Not so fast, Lane," Kyle said, taking her phone and tossing it on the bed.

She gasped as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard, thrusting his tongue in her mouth.

Lois pulled away.

"We've got work to do," she said.

"There's plenty of time for that," he replied, crowding her so she was basically pushed up against the wall and trapping her with his arms either side.

Lois tried to duck down but he was clearly having none of it.

"Kyle!"

He kissed her again until she was breathless, her body trembling with need.

"You drive me crazy," he said.

"I drive you crazy?" she asked.

"You're all I can think about."

"Whoa, easy tiger," she said, trying to push him away. "I told you, we have work to do."

He was pouting! She couldn't believe he was pouting and using that look on her. She'd patented that look.

"Lois, I want you," he murmured, pressing up against her so she could feel just how much he wanted her.

She whimpered. This was so not fair. Why did this have to happen now when they had a job to do?

"Kyle, baby, I want this as much as you, but we really need to table this all until later." She laid her hands on his chest. "I promise, as soon as we've got what we need we can focus on us, okay?"

He grumbled. "Sure, go and use logic on me."

She grinned and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"Come on," she said, taking his hand. "Let's go check out this guy's office."

XXXXX

Lex shivered as he opened the back door of the sedan and got in, handing coffee to Lucas and his partner. When he'd called Lucas to find out about the stakeout, his brother had told him to meet them at the same warehouse he and Kyle had found the other night.

"Bring coffee," was all his brother had said. So Lex had brought coffee.

"Hurry up and close the door," Lucas hissed. "It's fucking cold!"

"I don't even know why you came on this stakeout," the other man said.

"Because it's my case too, Rodriguez," Lex told him. "Kyle and I were the ones who found Floyd."

Rodriguez snorted.

"We'd have found him. Eventually."

"I highly doubt that," Lex returned, "since the patrons of that particular establishment are notorious for hating cops."

It was Lucas' turn to snort.

"I just love the way you say 'establishment' like it's a fucking five-star restaurant."

Lex glowered at his brother.

"It's a good thing Michelle isn't here," he said. "Otherwise she'd be washing your mouth out."

Lucas cocked an eyebrow. "You're kidding right? Michelle's just as bad."

"I overheard her telling Mom something about curbing the foul language, especially when the baby comes. You know how kids can pick up things."

"Hell yeah," Rodriguez agreed. "I swear, my kid got me in so much hot water with his teacher the other day. Kept saying 'fuck' in the middle of a lesson. Principal hauled me in and gave me a lecture about watching what I say in front of the kid. Like he knew I was a cop and everything but that was no excuse."

They fell silent as they sipped their coffees.

"So you heard how Kyle's doing with the little side project?" Lucas asked, keeping his eyes on the building in front of them.

"You mean the case or the other thing?" Lex replied.

"The other thing?" Rodriguez prompted.

"Kyle and Lane," Lucas said. "Lex decided to do a little match-making."

The other detective groaned.

"Aren't you like playing with fire there, Luthor?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Lucas turned in his seat and looked at him.

"You know something I don't, bro?"

Lex just grinned smugly.

"Guess who slept over at the mansion last night."

Lucas' eyes widened. "You're kidding!"

"Nope. I was entertaining a guest and I heard them yelling at each other. Then when I went upstairs to investigate I heard them, uh, in the throes of passion."

His brother laughed.

"Okay, you must have read way too many bodice-rippers when you were a kid, Lex. I mean, why don't you just call it like it is? They were fucking."

"Nice, Lucas."

"Ah, come on, bro. It's a good thing. I mean, Kyle and Lane have been dancing around each other since they were kids. It was about time they stopped pussy-footing and actually did something about it. The UST was killing me."

"UST?" Rodriguez asked.

"Dude, you gotta start reading that online shit. It's like all on these fanfiction sites. Unresolved Sexual Tension."

"Fan fiction? What the hell is that?"

Lex sighed and rolled his eyes as Lucas explained that fan fiction was stories involving characters from various movies or television shows, written by fans. His wife had apparently gotten him into it.

Lex glanced toward the building and saw one of the men from the other night. He reached over the seat and smacked his brother.

"Is that who I think it is?"

Lucas looked, then nodded.

"Yeah, that's Floyd. Guy's got a rap sheet as long as my arm, and then some."

"Doing what?"

"Well, first it was petty stuff. Pickpocketing, drug possession, that kind of thing. Then he moved up. Got into B and E, armed robbery. Wonder what he's into now if your pals in the bar fingered him for the murder."

There was only one way to find out, Lex thought, and that was to continue to observe him. This was going to be a long night.

XXXXX

Kyle groaned softly as Lois fumbled with the hairpin in the lock.

"You know, I could just ..."

"I bet you could," she said in a low voice, "but let's just try the low-tech solution. Keep an eye out."

She continued to move the pin around while he stood with his back to the door, watching anxiously. There was a soft click and Lois opened the door.

"See?" she said, grinning smugly. "Sometimes less really is more."

He rolled his eyes at her, not that she could actually see him roll his eyes in the dimness, and followed her inside.

"And don't think I can't totally tell when you're rolling your eyes at me, Smallville!"

How did she do that?

"What exactly are we looking for?" he asked.

"We'll know it when we find it," she said.

"That's not a lot of help Lo."

"C'mon, Luthor, it's not like you and Lex actually know what you're looking for until you find it."

Okay, he supposed that made sense. He began looking through the pile of folders left on the desk while Lois opened up the laptop. She began tapping on the keys, clearly trying to figure out a password.

"Daisy, no, that's not it." She lifted her head and looked around, clearly trying to come up with some clue to the man's password.

"You really think the man is going to be so stupid as to leave a clue to his password?"

"We aren't exactly talking rocket science," Lois retorted. "He's not Lex."

Kyle grinned. When he was nine, he'd broken in to his brother's computer, but it had taken more than a few minutes of working at super speed. Lex had always loved cryptography and his computer passwords had always used some secret code. His brother had been furious with him for weeks over the incident, despite the fact that Kyle hadn't found anything incriminating.

Lex had cooled down after a while. That was one thing about his big brother. They might fight a lot but they could never stay mad at each other for very long. In many ways, Lex was still the one person he looked up to the most.

He moved to stand beside Lois, looking down at the screen as she continued trying to figure out the password.

"Maybe we should try a back door," he said.

Lois cocked an eyebrow at him.

"You know, Lex isn't exclusively the brains and I'm not exclusively the brawn."

She grinned. "So, put your money where your mouth is."

Having spent his teenage years hanging out with someone like Chloe, Kyle had learned a few tricks about getting around passwords. He quickly moved the laptop and began accessing through the DOS screen, his eyes searching for the code that would allow him access to the files.

"Here we go," he said, opening up the files.

"You weren't kidding, were you? Where were you when I was sitting my chem. final in high school?"

He shot her a look but said nothing. Lois had spent most of her senior year at Smallville High trying to avoid going to class as much as possible.

"How you ended up a top reporter at the Daily Planet, I don't know," he said. "Considering how much time you spent blowing off classes in school."

"Well, it helps when your father is a four-star general," she said, still looking through the information on the screen. "You just have to know who to schmooze to get access to the best stuff."

"Uh-huh. Didn't you try to get Lex to do the white man power dance at Met U?"

"Pity he wouldn't come to the party," she sniffed. "Your brother can be such a goody-two shoes when he wants to be."

Kyle frowned at her.

"Are we talking about the same Lex?"

"Aw, come on, Smallville. Lex might be a tough mother when he wants to be, but he's only ever done that for family. Most especially you."

"Well, Lex can be kind of over-protective, sometimes. I mean, ever since I was little, Mom was always telling him to keep an eye on me and make sure I didn't use my abilities. They were always afraid somebody might say something to the DDS or whatever and they'd take me away. Besides, what makes you think you're not considered family? Lex wouldn't talk to the guy at Met U because he knew very well you wouldn't stick to your studies. That's all."

"What exactly are you implying?" she asked, looking a little angry.

"Lo, I'm not implying anything. Academics was never your thing. I get that."

"It's not like you've gone to college," she said, sounding miffed.

He straightened up and put his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. The truth is, I'm proud of you for what you've achieved at the Daily Planet. I mean, to me, it tells me that you found something you're passionate about and you're good at it, and no degree can ever change that."

She looked up at him.

"You really mean that? I mean, you're not just saying that because of, you know, last night?"

He grinned at her. "Okay, so I'm biased."

"That's okay. I love you anyway."

Her eyes widened as she clearly realised what she'd said. He kissed her gently, then turned back to the computer.

"So, these people who disappeared. What were their names?"

"First one was about six months ago. Last name was Robinson."

"Robinson ... Robinson ... here we are." He quickly read through the file, frowning. "Sounds to me like he found out something about them. Says here there was an affair ... still going on ... oh, this is interesting."

"What? What is it?"

"It wasn't the husband having an affair. It was her. I think he was blackmailing her."

"Maybe the husband found out about it so he had to get rid of them."

Kyle bit his lip. He continued reading. While it didn't specifically mention blackmail, there was something off about the notes. The entries grew increasingly sexual until the entries suddenly stopped and the file was closed. He accessed the files of the other two couples and while the scenarios appeared to differ slightly, it all came down to the same thing.

"I don't think this is blackmail in monetary terms, Lois. I think this guy's a sexual predator."

"Are you saying he's preying on these women by blackmailing them into sleeping with him?" Lois visibly shuddered. "What an asshole!"

Kyle saw what appeared to be an image file and opened it. There were hundreds of photos of women in various states of undress. Some were even tied up, their expressions clearly terrified.

"I don't think he was just preying on them," he said. "I think he was raping them."

"And when they tried to tell someone ..."

"He killed them."

"The question is, where are the bodies?"

"That's a very good question, Lo. I think I know a way we can find out."

He took Lois' flash drive and copied the files, then shut the computer down. They left the office, not realising they had been spotted by Greg.

Kyle took her hand, leading her outside and walking with her as if they were just out for a late night stroll. It wasn't freezing cold but it was cool enough that Lois pressed herself against him for warmth.

The camp had a lake that was either man-made or, since it was so close to Smallville, was probably one of the craters created by the meteor shower. It stood to reason that there was more than one Crater Lake, which Kyle and his friends had frequented every summer. His mother had always worried there might be meteor rock around, but he'd never come across any.

A lake would be a perfect place to hide bodies, he thought.

"Kyle?"

"Hmm?" He looked at Lois. "What is it?"

"I was just ... you know, thinking about us."

"What about us?"

"Well, it's kind of like you said this morning. Like maybe we took so long because we just didn't know how to communicate. Do you think that's true?"

"Partly. I mean, yeah, I guess we both put up a lot of walls."

"I know why I did, but why did you?"

He bit his lip, then stopped walking and pulled her off the path, sitting down on a large flat rock which had clearly been carved to act as a seat. Lois sat down next to him.

"Lo, do you remember when we first met?"

"You mean at the beach?"

"Actually, my mom says we met when we were about five. It must have been about the time your mom was diagnosed with cancer because my mom told me your mom told her she was sick."

Lois' eyes widened. "What? How could I not remember?"

"Well, I didn't until Mom reminded me. We were only little, but we were in an ice cream parlour. Mom had to take Lex to a specialist to see what could be done about him being bald."

"Wait, I think I remember something about this. You wanted chocolate and strawberry. I remember that because that's what you chose when you bought ice creams for us at the beach. Wow! I can't believe we met then. Why was your mom taking Lex to a specialist?"

"Well, she thought that Lex might be teased. She was right, but that's not the point. That was about the time I started showing more than just super strength. I mean, up until then, I was just like any other kid, except I was stronger. I wasn't completely invulnerable. I got sick with a bad flu not long after my dad died."

"I'm not following. What does this have to do with us meeting when we were five?"

"Mom said I was very taken with you then, yet around anyone else, I mean, apart from my brothers and sister, I was kind of reserved. She told me she had never seen me take so well to anyone before. It took months for Pete to draw me out and we were in kindergarten together."

She grinned. "So you were a hit with the ladies even at five. Who knew?"

He nudged her and grinned back, kissing her cheek.

"Anyway, like I told you last night, Mom and Lex told me the truth when I was ten and that was when I freaked out and ran away."

"Why did they? I mean, didn't you know?"

"I knew I was adopted, just like Lucas and Tess knew Mom officially adopted them. They're only Lex's half-siblings."

She frowned. "How come I didn't know that?"

"It's not something we like to broadcast." At least, not when it came to Lucas and Tess, who considered Lillian to be their mother anyway.

Both of them had met their biological mothers but one had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and the other had died of cancer. Kyle was sure that his brother and sister would have both been very different people if Lillian hadn't adopted them.

While they did tend to argue a lot, when all was said and done they really were a loving family. Kyle didn't know how he would have coped with his abilities if he hadn't had their support.

"Anyway, Lex was about to go off to Princeton and I didn't want him to leave. I know we argue like crazy now, but I looked up to him back then. I still do, in a lot of ways. Whenever I discovered a new power, he was always there to help me through it." He sighed. "I remember when I first got my heat vision."

"Your what?"

"Oh, um, oops. Yeah, I guess that's another one you didn't know about."

"I'm sure I'll pick it up as I go along. So, tell me more about this heat vision."

"Uh, well, there was this really hot teacher and, well, she turned out to be a meteor freak, but, anyway, she triggered the ability."

"So are your powers, you know, like emotionally-based or something else?"

"Um, no, actually most of them I get from the yellow sun. See, on Krypton, the sun was red, and everybody was, well, like normal."

"You mean no powers?"

"No powers," he confirmed.

"And Krypton blew up?" she said, clearly remembering something he'd said the night before.

"Yeah."

"What about your biological parents? Couldn't they have ...?"

"I have a place I can go to where there's a sort of A.I. of my biological father, Jor-El. He, um, he told me that the Kryptonian Council threatened to send him to the Phantom Zone ... uh, that's sort of like a prison ... if he tried to warn people about Krypton's imminent destruction, or tried to leave himself. My mother refused to leave his side. Only Kara and I escaped. That we know of."

Lois touched his arm, looking tearful.

"Oh Kal. You must have felt so alone when you found out."

He nodded. "I did."

She kissed him and gently caressed his cheek.

"I want you to know that you're not alone anymore."

He held her close.

"Lois, as much as I love my family, as much as they've supported me, you're the one person who has never made me feel like a freak. I never feel alone when I'm with you." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I love you, Lois. I think I've always loved you. I don't know why I fought it so long."

"Me either," she said.

He bit his lip. As much as he wanted to keep exploring the subject, they still had a job to do. Reluctantly he stood up.

"Let's finish this and put this guy away," he said. "Then we can go home and figure out where we go from here."

She nodded and rose.

"Let's go, Smallville," she said.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Floyd was meeting with someone. Lex couldn't tell who it was, but judging from the conversation he was overhearing through the parabolic mic Rodriguez had pointed at the building, it wasn't a social call.

"You shouldn't have ..." Floyd was saying to the other man.

"There wasn't any other option and you know it. That guard recognised you in the bar."

"Yeah, but now you've brought that guy Luthor down on us."

"What do you mean, Luthor?"

"One of my buddies at the bar recognised him. He's Lex Luthor. He and his brother are private dicks in town."

The other man sounded sceptical.

"First of all, no one says private dicks anymore, and second, who the hell cares?"

"Because his other bro's a cop you moron!"

Lucas glanced at his partner, then at Lex.

"I think we've got enough to bring them both in on suspicion," he said.

Lex nodded, pulling out his gun and moving to open the door.

"Whoa, hold up, bro. No way in hell are you going."

"It's my case," he reminded Lucas.

"Yeah, but you're not a cop! You're a civilian. Rodriguez, get on the blower and call it in. Tell dispatch we've got two suspects in a homicide."

"Sure thing, Luke."

Lucas sent his brother another look.

"Stay put!" he ordered. "We wait for back-up and then Rodriguez and I go in. You stay in the car."

Lex grumbled, but knew his brother had a point. A licensed investigator he might be, but he had no powers to make an arrest. Especially not a man wanted on suspicion of homicide.

It wasn't long before two officers turned up in a patrol car, emergency lights flashing. Lucas growled.

"Idiots!" he huffed.

He got out of the car, gun at the ready, approaching the warehouse. His partner and the two patrolmen followed. Lex heard him yelling:

"Metro PD!"

There were crashing sounds coming from the warehouse. Lex started to get out of the car, watching as the four men smashed down the door, yelling. There were shouts, then what sounded like gunfire. As he continued to watch, a window was smashed at the furthest end of the warehouse and a man began climbing out. Floyd.

Lex pulled out his gun and began running toward the warehouse. Screw Lucas, he thought. Clearly the two patrolmen weren't as adept as the other two seasoned officers or else they would have already been on Floyd's tail. The suspect began running down the alley behind the warehouse. Instead of chasing him Lex decided to try cutting him off at the pass. He'd done his research on the area and figured he could safely predict Floyd's path.

He managed to intercept the other man, aiming his gun at him. Floyd skidded to a stop, taking half a step backwards and looking behind him.

"Don't do it, Floyd," Lex warned.

"You're not a cop."

"He's as good as," Lucas said behind him. "Get your hands up, Floyd." The order was given quietly, but firmly, yet the other man still looked as if he wanted to chance it.

"You heard the man, Floyd," Lex said. "Don't even think about it."

The older man looked from one to the other, his hand moving to the waistband of his trousers. Since Lucas was behind him, he could clearly see the man starting to pull out a gun.

"Drop it Floyd!" he growled. "Don't make me shoot you."

Lex quickly took stock of the situation. He was closer to Floyd than his brother was and figured he had about two seconds to make a move. He ran full tilt, tackling Floyd before he could get his gun all the way up, shoving him against the wall. The other man dropped the gun in the process.

"Nice try, jackass!" Lex told him.

Lucas approached with handcuffs, forcing Floyd's feet apart while Lex kept one hand on the middle of his back.

"You're under arrest for the murder of Harry Dawkins. You have the right to remain silent, unless you choose to act like an asshole. If you give up this right ..."

"Blah, blah, blah, I've heard it all before. Could we just skip this part?"

Lex cocked an eyebrow at his brother, who just smirked.

"No, asshole! This may be old hat to you, but it's called doing my fucking job. Now where was I?"

"If I give up this right ... I didn't kill nobody, you know."

"That's called a double negative, jerkwad," Lex said.

Lucas once again looked at him. "Bro, you watch way too many cop shows."

"No, I've just spent way too much time with only Kyle for company."

"Well, we both know he has questionable taste," his brother returned. "In tv shows and clothes. Not to mention chicks."

"I don't know. If he's finally getting it together with Lane, things might be looking up in that direction."

"Yeah, I know. Shel'd kill me, but Lane is a damn fine woman, if I do say so myself."

"You're right. Shel would definitely kill you."

Floyd was watching them, his head against the wall.

"Uh, hello?"

Lex looked at him, then back at his brother.

"Shut up, asshole!" they both said, then grinned at each other. Lex stepped back so Lucas could put the cuffs on Floyd and continue reading his Miranda rights.

Rodriguez caught up to them as they headed back to the patrol car. The arrested man was handed off to the uniformed officer. Once they were gone, Lucas looked at him, his expression clearly showing he'd been holding in his annoyance until Floyd was safely away.

"I told you to wait in the goddamn car," he snapped.

"If I had, Floyd would have gotten away," Lex pointed out.

"We would have got him in the end," Lucas returned.

"Yeah? When? After he got halfway to Central City?"

Rodriguez rolled his eyes.

"Man, I can imagine what it was like growing up in that house with the way you two go at each other."

"What's that supposed to mean, Rodriguez?" Lucas asked his partner.

"Well, c'mon, you fight like cats and dogs."

"Do not," Lex muttered.

"Whatever! We gotta take these assholes back to the station, Luke."

"Yeah, sure," Lucas replied. He turned back to Lex as Rodriguez got in the car, looking a lot less annoyed, clearly having rethought things. "Uh, thanks. Look, I don't mean to get on your case ..."

Lex shook his head. He had kind of stepped out of bounds and he knew it.

"It's fine, Lucas. I'll call you tomorrow."

XXXXX

It was too dark for Kyle to see the lake, or rather, what was under it clearly, so he decided to call it a night. They walked back to the cabin, holding hands. Lois was quiet.

"You okay?" he asked.

She looked at him and squeezed his hand.

"I'm fine."

"You're awfully quiet."

"Well, to be honest, it's been a pretty overwhelming day. I mean, not the investigating part because I can handle that."

He nodded. "It's the alien thing, isn't it? I knew I ..."

She stopped walking and put a finger on his mouth.

"Don't. Don't you dare say you never should have told me the truth. I'm glad you told me. I mean, I've been in love with you for so long and when I found out you were the Blur, well, I made a lot of assumptions, but I never thought for one second that was a reason not to be together. Last night, when you told me everything, I never thought it was possible, but I love you more."

"I don't ..."

"Kyle, you have to make life and death decisions every day and you see the worst of people, yet you still go out there."

"You're right," he said, "but I also see people at their best."

"Tell me."

He sat on the grass and pulled her down to sit with him. It seemed so natural for her to sit between his legs, her back to his chest, while he wrapped his arms around her.

"A couple of years ago there was this bad car accident on the highway. A truck hit this car and the couple had been on their way to the hospital. She was in labour. The car was so badly crushed there was no way they could get out by themselves. The father was hysterical, just about screaming. He didn't care about himself. All he cared about was his wife."

"What did you do?"

"I pulled the car apart and got them out of there. The miracle was that neither of them were seriously hurt, but it had sped up the labour. She was screaming that the baby was coming and my first thought was to rush her off to the hospital but I didn't think it would be good for either of them. So I sat there with them and caught the baby. Just in time for the paramedics to arrive. It was so amazing, Lois. I mean, I used to help out during summer vacation on the Kent farm and I did help when a couple of their cows gave birth, but this ... just to hold this little life in my hands and know that I helped bring it into the world ..."

"That's a beautiful story, Kyle." She hesitated. "The couple saw you. They could identify you."

He nodded. "They could, but they chose not to. You see, they explained to me that the wife had always thought she couldn't have children and the pregnancy was not just a miracle, but it was their one and only chance to have a child. When the accident happened, they were afraid they would lose the baby. They were so grateful for what I'd done that they told me they would keep my secret."

"Do you still see them?"

"Yeah. I visit them from time to time. They made me his godfather."

They'd wanted to name the baby after him but he'd asked instead that they name the baby Alexander. When he'd told Lex about it, his brother was honoured that he'd made the request.

Little Alex was now two and as mischievous as any two-year-old would be. He adored his Uncle Kal.

He told her about some other saves he'd made. None of them had been as memorable as that one, but it still showed him the best part of humanity.

"Do you ever think about coming out of the shadows? Revealing yourself to the world?"

"I've thought about it a lot, especially over the past couple of years, but I'm not sure I'm ready to do that yet."

"Why not?"

"There's a lot I have to consider, like you and Lex. I mean, I know you can look after yourself, Lo, it's just ..."

"You worry we might become a target when the world does finally see your face. I can see that." She turned in his arms, pressing her hands either side of his face. "But you have to remember something. None of that matters. I mean, do you think Lucas doesn't worry about Michelle? Yet, she's a cop too and she understands the risks. So does your mom. Kyle, honey, I'm not saying you tell the world exactly who you are. Maybe there's a way to do what you do, yet keep your identity as Kyle Luthor separate."

He understood that. It didn't stop him worrying.

Lois kissed him gently.

"I think you're amazing, Kyle. And it's not just because of your abilities."

He got up, pulling her up with him and resumed walking to their cabin.

"I wish we had done this sooner," he sighed.

"What? You mean us?"

"Yeah."

"What would it have changed? I think we just got too caught up in our own worries that it was probably not the best timing anyway."

He kissed her cheek. She knew exactly the right thing to say.

They arrived at the cabin. Kyle frowned. The door was ajar, yet he was sure he had closed it securely. Lois looked at him, a worried frown creasing her lovely features.

"Someone's been here," she said.

He pushed the door open cautiously, x-raying inside. Lois' suitcase was open on the bed, the clothes in disarray. Someone had definitely been going through it. He quickly checked the bathroom. Whoever it was was long gone.

"What were they looking for?" Lois asked, sounding worried.

"Some kind of proof, I expect."

He watched as she checked her suitcase.

"You didn't have anything from the Planet, did you?" he asked.

She looked at him.

"I think that misses the whole point of being undercover. I'm not exactly an amateur at this."

"Good."

She chewed on her bottom lip.

"How do we figure out who did this?"

"We'll just have to observe them all tomorrow. See if anyone acts suspicious."

He gathered the things that had been scattered all over the room in the search, putting them away. Lois sighed wearily.

"I'm gonna get ready for bed," she told him. She bent and searched through her suitcase for her nightclothes. They'd never really unpacked the night before, considering they'd spent the night at the mansion.

As she disappeared into the bathroom, Kyle decided it was a good time to check in with Lex.

"Hey, Kal."

For once his brother sounded in a good mood.

"Hey, Lex. Just checking in."

"How's it going there?"

"We have a couple of leads. How about on your end?"

"Lucas has Floyd in custody. He's going to let him stew overnight then start questioning him in the morning. So, how's Lois?"

Why did Kyle get the feeling Lex knew something, especially with the way he sounded so smug?

"Lex, you wouldn't ..."

"Wouldn't what?" He sighed heavily. "Okay, so I heard you and Lane last night. You weren't exactly being quiet."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Don't be. From what I heard, it sounds like you got a few things sorted out between you."

"And then some," he returned. He glanced up at the closed bathroom door, hearing the shower cut off. "Well, uh, Lois is about to get out of the shower."

"Yeah, okay. We'll touch base tomorrow."

"'Night Lex."

"'Night Kal." There was silence on the other end for a moment, but it was obvious Lex hadn't hung up. "For what it's worth, I'm happy for you and Lois. She's good for you."

"Thanks, Lex."

XXXXX

Lois dried herself off quickly and unfolded the nightgown. She put it on, checking her reflection in the mirror, smoothing down the creases. She had no idea why she was so nervous, since they had slept together the night before.

Still, there was sleeping together and then there was 'sleeping' together. Sex was one thing, but intimacy was something else.

Taking a deep breath, she checked her reflection one more time before taking the pins out of her hair and letting the chocolate waves fall loosely past her shoulders. She'd dyed it blonde when she was seventeen but Kyle had once told her he liked her with dark hair. Not, of course, that she'd ever let his opinion influence her choices.

She chuckled softly when she remembered an argument they'd once had. She'd been dating Oliver Queen at the time, and she and Kyle had been friends, but he'd still been hung up on Lana.

"So you're telling me that, I mean, let's say someone's crazy enough to even walk down the aisle with you, let alone actually live with you, you'd be happy with them just the way they are?"

Kyle had shrugged. "Sure."

"Okay, here's a scenario. Wifey comes home, she's spent all day at the hairdresser and she's dyed her hair. Only it's ghastly. But she does it because she thinks it will make you happy. She asks you for your opinion. What do you say?"

"My wife would be secure in herself that she wouldn't need to change her look to make me happy."

"Typical," she'd snorted.

"What?"

"Never mind. I knew you wouldn't get it."

"What's not to get? A woman shouldn't change to make her guy happy. If she's that insecure in herself that she needs a guy to tell her how to dress or how to look, then she's only going to make it worse for herself."

Still grinning at the recollection, Lois couldn't help but think that he was right. If there was one thing she could say about Kyle Luthor, it was that he wasn't sexist. So why was it he'd continued to date the one woman who always seemed to define herself by the guy she was dating?

At least, up until now, she thought, chewing on her bottom lip. Deep down, she knew the reason. He'd as much as implied it the night before, and tonight. He didn't want to be alone. Lana had represented a sense of normalcy; she'd typified the girl-next-door. As much as Kyle thought that was what he wanted, deep down, she was sure he knew that it wasn't really what he needed.

She opened the bathroom door a crack and saw him turning down the bed, placing the blankets just so and fluffing the pillows. He seemed just as nervous as she was.

She turned back to the mirror, taking one final look at her reflection. The nightdress she had chosen was a mid-blue colour in satin with a lace bodice which showed her cleavage, yet was still fairly modest.

Now or never, she thought, going back out into the room.

Kyle stood, watching silently as she came out, a small smile on his face.

"Uh, the shower's all yours," she said.

"Thanks," he replied. He waved a hand at the bed. "Uh, so I didn't know what side you like to sleep on. I kind of sleep in the middle usually. I ... I can take the right side, uh, unless that's the side you like."

"No, that's okay."

"I just want you to be comfortable."

"I will be," she smiled, trying not to show she was trembling. "I mean, I am."

He nodded. "Okay, well, um, I'm going to ..." He gestured toward the bathroom, then made his escape.

Lois got into bed, pulling the covers up, laying on her side and thumping the pillow until she had it in the shape she preferred. She heard the water going in the bathroom and the sound of Kyle washing himself. She was tempted to get up again, just to watch him through the keyhole, but decided that probably wasn't the best idea.

Less than a minute later the water shut off and the door opened a second later. Kyle came out, wearing only pyjama pants, his chest bare. She sighed softly, gazing at him as he approached the bed.

He paused and looked at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she said.

"You're looking at me funny."

"Can't a girl appreciate a hot guy's body?"

He fidgeted. "You think I'm hot?"

"Well, duh!" she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm surprised they haven't been lining up around the block for a crack at you."

He got into bed beside her, still keeping a slight distance between them.

"I was kind of a geek in high school."

"Well, that's kind of understandable, with your preppy brother."

He grinned. "I still remember you teasing me about that when I was a freshman."

She shifted closer, taking his hand and linking their fingers.

"You know I always loved yanking your chain," she said. "The best part about it was you would yank back."

"I couldn't let you get away with it, Lane."

"I think that's one of the things that made me fall in love with you," she said. "That and I was always a sucker for strays."

"Dogs, or guys?" he asked, letting her hand drop to her waist and slowly running his hand up her thigh. Lois could feel the warmth of his hand through the satin and shivered slightly.

"Both," she told him, suddenly breathless as she looked into his beautiful eyes. "Kyle ..."

"Lo ..."

Curiously, he seemed just as breathless, his eyes taking on a slight orange tint. Lois wondered if that was the heat vision he'd told her about earlier.

His hand had moved up her body, his finger tracing her through the satin. She shivered again in response to his touch.

She began her own exploration, her fingers lightly tracing his pectoral muscles, checking his response. He had closed his eyes, his head almost thrown back, exposing the Adam's apple at his throat. She had the urge to kiss the area just above his clavicle, sucking gently on his skin. As powerful as he was, his skin felt as normal to the touch as any other person, except that it was like silk covered steel.

She rolled on top of him, using her mouth to explore him. They hadn't really done much of this the night before, too caught up in their passion for each other. Lois wanted to take her time now to explore this beautiful man; the man she loved.

Kyle didn't seem to be all that content with her slow exploration, his hands stroking up and down her body. They were so big and so warm and it wasn't long before her body felt like it was on fire, just from that simple touch. How could someone with such big hands be so gentle, she thought. At least with her. She remembered the night she'd seen him as the Blur. He'd not been gentle then, knocking out the three guys with barely an effort.

Kyle pulled her up to kiss her deeply, thrusting his tongue in between her lips, one hand pushing her hair back, tenderly stroking her face. She felt him rolling her onto her back and wrapped her arms around him. She could feel the hardness of his arousal pressing against her sex.

Lois lay back as he began moving down her body, kissing her chest. He slowly pushed the bodice of her nightdress down. She moaned as his big hands covered her.

He looked down at her, his desire for her evident in his eyes. She returned his gaze, begging silently. He seemed to know what she wanted, bending his head. She gasped as he nipped her gently, the sharp sensation sending a shock through to her core. He soothed the bite by bathing her breast with his tongue.

He seemed to know just what to do to reduce her to a quivering mess. She could almost swear that he had more than two hands as he touched her everywhere, making her feel as if her body was on fire. She had no idea when or how he had done it, but she was suddenly naked, her nightdress in shreds on the floor. Lois didn't care, too caught up in his lovemaking.

They rolled over once again in the bed so she was now on top. She looked down at him with a wicked grin on her face. He grinned back at her, pulling her down once again for a hot, passionate kiss. She moved back slightly, lifting herself, only to grind down on him, making him moan with arousal. She did it again until he arched his body.

"Tease," he muttered.

She sent him a toothy grin, then let him guide her above him. Hands on his shoulders for balance, Lois rocked her body slowly, teasing him as much as letting her body grow accustomed to his size. He was definitely bigger than any other man she'd been with, not that that was a bad thing.

She lifted her body up once more until he almost slipped out of her, then slammed herself down on him, doing this a few times until he growled with impatience. She didn't resist as he rolled her onto her back once more and began to show her exactly who was boss. In the bedroom anyway.

They fell asleep with their arms around each other.

As the sun rose the next morning, they were roused by a gentle tapping on the door. Kyle got up, grabbing his pyjama pants from where he'd tossed them on the floor and opened the door, only to find no one there. He closed the door again and looked at Lois, a puzzled expression on his face. She frowned, then looked down to see a white, square object beside the door.

"What's that?" she asked.

Kyle picked it up. It was a folded piece of paper. Lois watched as he unfolded it and read the note. He frowned and handed it to her.  
><em><br>I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. PLEASE HELP ME!_

__XXXXX

Lex whistled as he parked his car and walked up toward his office. It was a beautiful, sunny day and he was feeling good.

Suddenly he was shoved from behind, a hand gripping his arm firmly, but not painfully.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Luthor?"


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Lex stared up at his assailant. He was usually fairly adept at not showing his emotions, but this time he was caught by surprise.

"Van McNulty?"

The other man scowled, looking around furtively.

"A little louder, so they can hear you in fucking Gotham! Let's take this somewhere quieter."

"My office is just up here," he said.

Van let him go and followed him as he walked up toward the office and opened the door. The other man closed the door behind him.

Lex sat down at his desk, while his 'guest' remained standing. He decided Van wanted a show of power. He tried to look nonchalant as he leaned forward, one hand on the gun he kept in a holster strapped beneath the desk top.

"What do you want?" he asked warily. This was, after all, the man who had once tried to kill him, and his brother.

"First, you can forget about using that gun I know you have under your desk."

Lex tried to keep his cool, but this was the second time in a matter of minutes that the man had caught him unawares. He swallowed hard as Van pulled back his jacket to show a 9mm handgun in a leather holster, then sat back.

"I don't plan on using it unless you give me a reason to," the other man said.

"And why should I trust you to mean what you say?" he returned cautiously. "You did try to kill me once."

"That was a long time ago. I'm over it."

"Are you?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "Then what are you doing here?"

"I'll ask the questions!" the other man snapped. "What were you doing at the Hog the other night?"

"Investigating a murder. You have anything to do with that?"

"If I did, then your brother would have me in the cells so fast my head would spin."

"Then why are you here?"

"Tell me why you were investigating the murder."

"Client confidentiality," Lex snapped, annoyed at the interrogative manner of the other man. He seriously wished he could call Kyle right now and tell him to deal with McNulty, but since the other man knew his brother's weakness, it was hardly the most logical option.

"Well, you and your brother's antics have got me this close to blowing the operation," he said, holding up his thumb and forefinger with less than a quarter of an inch gap between them.

"What are you talking about?" Lex asked, genuinely perplexed.

Van sighed and dug into the inside pocket of his jacket, taking out what appeared to be a leather wallet. He opened it up. Lex stared at it.

"You're DDS?" He frowned. "Why would they recruit you? You're a convicted felon."

"Found not guilty by reason of insanity," the other man said smugly. "Which you very well know."

"You're still a murderer!" Lex accused. "You tried to kill me and my brother."

"Oh quit the dramatics, Luthor. You're still alive. Like I said, that was a long time ago and I found a new purpose."

"Yeah, doing what, exactly?"

"Keeping the world safe from dangerous meteor freaks."

"What does this have to do with your little operation?"

"Who do you think are behind the bank robberies, you moron? Morgan Edge has been hiring meteor freaks."

"Morgan Edge is in prison."

"Sure, Edge senior is in prison. Junior is taking up where Daddy left off."

This was news to him. Lex thought he would have known Edge had a son.

Van appeared to relax his guard, sitting down on one of the chairs they kept for clients, and explained that Morgan Edge junior had been the elder Edge's illegitimate son. His existence had been unknown until a couple of years earlier when his mother had died. Of course, Edge senior had demanded proof. When the younger man had indeed proved it, he had legally changed his name and begun taking over where the old man had left off.

Van had been working undercover for the DDS, using his mistakes of the past to his advantage.

Don't get me wrong, Luthor. You and your brother are nothing but pains in my ass, and I don't like you, but I'm willing to admit you're not as bad as some of the freaks I've come across."

"What are you suggesting? That we work together on this?"

"Hell no. I'm telling you to stay out of it."

"Forget it. We were hired to investigate and that's what we're doing."

"Listen to me, Luthor, one guy's already dead. As much as I dislike you, I'm not about to let you get yourself killed if there's something I can do about it."

"My brother and I are perfectly capable of handling ourselves."

Van rolled his eyes. "You know I know about his weakness."

"Kyle is not a total idiot. We've learned a few strategies over the years."

"Fine," he said, getting up. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"You do what you have to do, McNulty."

XXXXX

Kyle had scanned the note, as well as the area outside, but there was nothing, no clue which would help them determine who had sent it. Lois was, of course, immediately concerned that either their cover had been blown, or that the person who had left the note knew he was the Blur.

"What do we do?" Lois asked.

He looked at her, frowning.

"As tempted as I am to lay low, I think if the person was planning on revealing us to all and sundry, they wouldn't have asked for help in the message."

"The question is, who?"

"That's what we need to figure out. I think we should just keep acting normal until they choose to reveal themselves."

"What about the lake?" she asked.

He'd forgotten about that. They dressed quickly in jeans and shirts and left the cabin, walking up the path toward the lake. There was a bench on the shore and they sat down, pretending to be admiring the view. Kyle quickly scanned the expanse of water, but other than a few rusted objects which were no longer recognisable, he saw nothing that resembled bodies.

"Anything?" Lois asked quietly.

"Nothing."

She frowned at him. "Maybe you need to be closer?" she suggested.

"It won't help," he told her. "The only other thing I can do is fly above it and ..."

Her eyes had widened and her mouth had dropped open.

"Uh ... fly?" she said.

"Oops. I guess that's another one I didn't tell you," he said.

She punched his shoulder. He controlled his strength as he always did when she did that, so she wouldn't hurt her hand.

"You and I are going to need to have a long talk, mister," she told him.

"We will. I promise."

She chewed on her lower lip.

"You know, it never even occurred to me before, but when I hit you ..."

"I don't even feel it."

"But I should," she mused.

"I can control it so I don't hurt you."

"How?"

He frowned. "You know, it's not something I've really thought about. When I was little, my mom and Lex had to teach me how to control my strength so I didn't crush things when I held them, or put holes in the walls when I did something stupid and smack into them."

"Your life must get so complicated at times."

"Sure, but whose isn't? We all have things we need to deal with. I mean, sure, I have different abilities but I still feel the same things as everyone else."

Kyle heard the sound of footsteps and turned his head to see Greg and Daisy coming up the path. Daisy looked distinctly uncomfortable, while Greg seemed to be lecturing her on something. His expression showed anger.

The young woman looked almost relieved to see them.

"Mr and Mrs Kent," she said, smiling nervously. "You're out and about early."

Lois smiled brightly. "Well, it's such a beautiful morning, we thought we'd take in the view."

"It is great, isn't it?" Daisy said.

"That lake would make a great fishing spot," Kyle returned, wondering how he could get away for a few minutes. He glanced meaningfully at Lois, who nodded slightly as Greg spoke.

"We should head up to breakfast."

Lois began patting her pockets, as if she'd forgotten something.

"Um, honey, I left my phone in the cabin. Could you be a dear and run and get it for me?"

"Yes dear," he said, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly, glancing at Greg, who appeared to return the exasperation.

He watched as Lois joined the pair, then began jogging in the direction of their cabin. As soon as they were out of sight, he took off into the air.

XXXXX

Lois walked with Daisy while Greg walked behind them. It hadn't been difficult to interpret the small signals Kyle had been giving her and it had been easy enough to come up with an excuse for why he wasn't following them to breakfast. She imagined he would be flying over the lake now.

That had been something of a revelation, she thought. Not that he'd obviously meant to keep that from her. She supposed there were a lot of things about his abilities that she was yet to learn.

She was startled out of her thoughts by Greg grasping her arm with a gloved hand.

"Joshua wanted to speak to you before you went to breakfast," he said.

Lois chewed on her lip, glancing at Daisy, who looked alarmed, her eyes wide.

"Greg," the girl said softly.

"It's all right, Daisy. He just wants to talk."

Lois doubted it from the expression on the girl's face. She looked scared.

"I'm sure it's fine, Daisy," she said, with more confidence than she felt.

Lois had the feeling that Daisy had been the one to leave the note. There had just been something about that plea that suggested it had come from her. There was also the conversation Kyle had heard between Daisy and her father the day before. She knew something about the missing couples.

Daisy's eyes widened and Lois frowned at her. That was odd, she thought.

"Uh, I should go and help with breakfast," she said, turning and heading quickly up the path.

Lois followed Greg, realising they were headed in the direction of Joshua's office. She wondered if they knew about the little break-in from the night before.

She guessed she was about to find out as Greg knocked on the door. He ushered her inside after Joshua called for them to enter, then stood as if guarding the door, preventing her from running away.

"Mrs Kent," Joshua greeted her. His smile was not friendly. "Word has it you were seen leaving this office last night. Tell me, did you find what you were looking for?"

She opted for a plea of innocence.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said.

Joshua got up.

"I've been doing a little research on you," he told her, approaching her. "There is no Jo and Kal Kent. You don't exist. Who are you?"

Lois backed away, only to be thwarted by Greg at the door.

"Who are you?" she accused. "You're no counsellor. We know about the missing couples!"

She knew she'd played her hand too soon when he continued to crowd her against the other man.

"It's a pity," he said, "that you had to come poking your nose in where it wasn't wanted. Greg!"

She turned and stared as Greg began taking off his gloves, backing away.

"What are you doing?" she asked, swallowing the sudden bile in her throat.

Kyle had finished checking over the lake within minutes, disappointed with his search. He landed near where he'd left Lois and began walking up the hill toward the dining hall. As he stepped onto the pathway, someone barrelled into him.

He quickly moved to steady the other person. Daisy looked up at him, her eyes fearful.

"Mr Luthor!" she said.

He stared at her in shock.

"How did you ..."

"He's going to hurt her!" she said.

"Who?"

"My dad. I heard him and Greg talking. He saw you, last night. Please, you have to stop him before he ..."

He thrust the girl aside.

"Stay here!" he said.

"Hurry!" she told him. "I think they went to my dad's office."

He didn't care if the girl saw him as he sped off. Clearly if she knew his name, she was the person who had left the note. Which meant she knew a lot more than his name.

Within seconds he was at the door. He quickly scanned the interior with his x-ray. There were three figures inside, one backing away from another. Kyle smashed down the door, knocking Joshua out in the process and glared at Greg, who was inches away from touching Lois with his bare hands.

"Get away from her!" he growled.

Greg turned and struck out. Kyle felt a curious sensation, as if energy was being drained from him as Greg managed to get a hold of his bare arm. He swung his arm, knocking the other man's arm away and shoved him with his palm in the man's chest. Greg flew across the room, hitting the wall, and went down, unconscious.

Kyle wrapped his arms around the woman he loved.

"Lois!" he said.

"I'm fine," she assured him.

That had been too close, he thought, holding her tightly, trying to reassure himself that she was really okay. He felt her stiffen.

"Behind you," she cried out.

Kyle turned and stared at Joshua, who had risen to his feet, holding a gun. Kyle let his girlfriend go and grabbed the other man before he could fire, almost crushing his hand in the process, then pushed him down on the chair and twisting the arms so he was tied down.

There was the sound of running feet on the concrete floor and Daisy appeared in the doorway, panting. She looked at the wreckage of the door Kyle had crashed through and Greg in the corner, then at her father.

"Daisy," he growled. She shrank back in fear as he tried to get out of the chair.

Kyle approached her.

"It's all right," he said. "He's not going anywhere."

She nodded, then looked at Lois, her expression full of relief.

"I'm glad you're all right," she said.

Lois smiled at her. "You left the note, didn't you?"

"I heard my dad and Greg talking about you and I knew they were going to do something bad. I had to do something."

"Why didn't you call the sheriff?" Kyle asked gently. "Or the state police?"

She looked down, clearly feeling guilty.

"I was scared," she said when she finally raised her head and looked at them.

She went on to explain that before she was born, her parents had been caught in the meteor shower. Both of them had begun to develop certain abilities. Her mother had been able to read minds, while her father, who had been trapped under his car when it had rolled off the highway after being hit by a meteor, had developed almost super-human strength.

Daisy had been born with the ability to read minds; any minds except those who had been changed by the meteors, and of course, Kyle. When her father had begun to develop the retreat, he had used Daisy's ability to learn what he could about the couples. He had forced her to tell him about the three couples he had been blackmailing, only she thought they were being blackmailed for money.

She was shocked and horrified when she had discovered what her father was really doing to the couples. She had been caught by Greg, who had threatened her, telling her that if she told anyone, he would kill her.

She had read Lois' mind and realised who they were. Learning that Kyle was the Blur had been the impetus she needed to get help.

By the time she was through explaining, the state police and the sheriff had arrived. Greg and Joshua were led away in handcuffs. Daisy went with them.

"So, what about the couples who disappeared?" Lex asked as they sat together in the mansion later that evening.

"Greg finally told the staties that Joshua had forced him to kill them and dispose of the bodies," Kyle said. "It turns out, Greg has the ability to drain people of their life force," he added, shuddering at the thought of that happening to Lois.

"They're excavating the grounds and the retreat has been shut down permanently," Lois told Lex, squeezing Kyle's hand to reassure him that she was fine.

"What about the therapist in town who has been referring the couples?"

"She's been absolved of any wrongdoing. And Daisy is getting some support. They're not going to charge her."

"Good. It sounds like the poor girl has been through enough." Lex smiled. "So, I'm guessing you have a story to write?"

"Already done," Lois replied. "Perry's over the moon."

"I imagine he would be. Sounds like you both had a productive few days."

Kyle wondered if his brother was hinting at something else, but didn't call him on it.

"Are you headed back to town?" Lex asked.

Kyle glanced at Lois, who just shrugged slightly.

"We might stay out here tonight and drive back to town in the morning."

"Good idea. Lois, why don't you go and find Mrs H and tell her you and Kyle will be staying for dinner. There's something I need to talk to Kyle about."

"Sure, Lex," she said, getting up. Kyle let her hand go with a gentle smile, then looked at his brother.

"What's up?"

"I had a visitor this morning," Lex said. "Van McNulty."

Kyle stared in surprise. "What?"

"He just wanted to talk. He's apparently working for the DDS. Undercover. He didn't say exactly what his role in the operation is, but he did give me some information. Morgan Edge is behind the bank robberies."

Kyle frowned. Back when he'd run away to the city, he had tangled with Morgan Edge and his goons. He'd met Edge shortly after he'd stopped two of his men from robbing a bank, only because he wanted to rob it himself. He'd been out of his mind on Red K then and hadn't cared much about the consequences.

Edge had learned who he was and where he was living and had approached him to work for him. Kyle hadn't been interested.

"Edge is in prison," he said.

"Apparently there's an illegitimate son who has claimed the name of Morgan Edge Junior. It seems he's taking up where the old man has left off."

"Did McNulty give you any more?"

It still annoyed him that someone who had killed meteor freaks was now working for the DDS. Clearly the government agency had a larger agenda in mind or else they wouldn't have recruited him.

"Just to butt out of the case, essentially."

"We're not going to do that."

"I know we're not, Kal. Relax, okay? I'm not going to let a jerk like McNulty tell us what to do."

"Did you talk to Lucas?"

Lex nodded.

"He questioned Floyd all morning but the guy isn't giving anything up. Not even with the threat of a murder charge. Lucas talked to his lieutenant. They've got enough to hold Floyd another twenty-four hours but not enough physical evidence to tie him to the murder."

"Great. Which means in twenty-four hours he'll be back on the street."

"The medical examiner came back with a cause of death. The guard was basically throttled."

"Well, surely they'll have prints, epithelials ..."

"That all depends, doesn't it?"

"On what?"

"Well, who's to say the murderer doesn't have telekinesis?"

Kyle looked at his brother, askance.

"You're kidding, right?"

"It's possible. If McNulty is telling the truth, we're dealing with meteor freaks."

"Meteor freaks?" Lois came back in. "Are you talking about the bank robberies?"

"Lo ..." Kyle began.

"Come on, Smallville, you told me you'd give me the lowdown when you had something. It sure sounds to me like you've got something. So gimme."

Lex arched an eyebrow and sent him a look which said: 'she's your girlfriend'. Kyle sighed.

"We only have the word of someone else to go on, and he's told Lex to stay away from the case."

Lois frowned. "Who is this guy?"

"Someone who tried to kill us."

She looked startled. "What?"

"It's a long story, Lois," Lex said.

"I've got time," she said, sitting on the couch with her arms crossed, a determined look on her face. Kyle knew he didn't have much of a choice. After all, he had promised full disclosure.

"Remember Chloe's little scrapbook that became the Wall of Weird?" he reminded her.

It hadn't been a scrapbook by the time he'd seen it. Even Chloe had admitted it had kind of mutated. She had collected every little tidbit on anything to do with strange occurrences which could not be attributed, or rather blamed, on the fertiliser plant.

She had chronicled it all on computer, compiling a list of those who had been changed by the meteors. What Kyle hadn't been aware of was that Lex had been on that list. Chloe had included him because of his many near-death experiences.

Three of the so-called meteor freaks had been shot and killed, and a rock with the word 'Freak' painted on it had been found near each body. Kyle had investigated and learned of Chloe's database, before learning that one of the victims had been seen the same day with Van McNulty.

He'd dug up some more research on Van and learned that the other student's father had been murdered by another meteor freak, a girl named Tina Greer, who had been able to morph herself into anyone she wanted. Tina was dead, but it was clear McNulty still wanted revenge.

Along with Pete, Kyle had gone looking for more evidence and found a hunting cabin owned by the McNultys. Inside the cabin had been what Kyle had guessed was a hit-list. Lex had been next on that list.

Kyle had managed to stop his brother from being shot, but had failed to stop McNulty when he'd tried to confront him, only to collapse when meteor rocks fell from the other boy's bag. McNulty had realised his weakness and a day later Kyle had become the next target.

Lois stared at him as he paused in his story.

"What? What happened?"

"McNulty shot him. With a bullet made from meteor rock." Lex looked pained as he recalled what had happened next. "God, you were screaming. Lucas had just got home and neither of us really knew what to do. You just kept screaming: 'get it out, get it out' and finally I just had to get a kitchen knife and dig it out."

He shuddered and winced at the memory. Kyle put a hand on his brother's shoulder. All he remembered of that horrible day was being in horrific pain, fire spreading through his body, and then being unable to breathe.

"But you got him in the end," Lois said.

Lex nodded. "Yeah. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and locked up in Belle Reve." He sighed. "I still can't believe he's working for the Department of Domestic Security."

"Well, I can," Lois stated. "Those guys will recruit anyone if it works to their advantage."

"Can we trust him, Lex?" Kyle asked.

Lex sighed. "I don't know, Kal. He claims he's over whatever made him kill those people years ago but he still doesn't like us. He did say he wasn't willing to let either of us get killed if he had anything to say about it."

"Well, he better not try anything or he'll have me to deal with," Lois said firmly.

Kyle suppressed a grin. It was just like Lois to defend him.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

The announcement that dinner was ready put an end to any further discussion. Lois paused as the two men went to leave the room. Kyle turned and looked at her, holding his hand out. She grinned and went to him, taking his hand.

They ate dinner in the small dining room, which was less formal than the one Lex always used when he was trying to entertain, and make an impression doing so. He might just be a private investigator now, but his family were still fairly wealthy and there were still certain 'social expectations' that came with that.

After dinner, Lex went to his study to make a few calls. Kyle had confided to Lois that Lex was seeing the woman from the party, although it was still early days.

They wandered out to the garden. It was a cool night and she shivered slightly.

"Are you cold?" Kyle asked.

"A little, I guess."

He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"I don't feel the cold," he said.

She welcomed the warmth she could still feel from his body, loving the way he wrapped a protective arm around her.

"Why do you wear a jacket if you don't feel the cold?" she asked.

It was one of many other questions she had. Did he need to sleep, or eat? How could he stand driving a car when it moved so much slower than he did?

"I'm guessing that's not your only question," he said with a grin. "But let's start with that one. I do it to blend in."

She nodded in understanding. If he was just in his shirt sleeves in the middle of a snowy winter's day, it would look odd. He'd clearly been taught not to stand out.

"Do you know much about Krypton?" she asked.

"Only what my birth father has told me."

She frowned. "I thought ..."

"Remember the A.I. I told you about? It's a representation of him, with all his memories. It's contained within I guess what we'd call computer banks, at my fortress in the Arctic. I'll take you there one day."

"I'd like that," she said. "Tell me about your family."

"Well, as I told you last night, my father's name was Jor-El and my mother was Lara Lor-Van. My birth name is Kal-El."

"Kal-El," she said softly. "What does it mean?"

"In English it means Star Child."

She chuckled softly, thinking the name was very apt. He was, after all, a child who had come from the stars.

"My mother was beautiful," he said. "She had long blonde hair and skin like porcelain."

She cuddled close to him, realising it must have devastated him when he'd learned the truth about his real parents.

"So tell me about your powers," she prompted gently.

"You know already about the speed and the strength."

"And the super-hearing, the heat vision, and the flying thing. What else?"

"Well, I can also see through things. It's sort of like an x-ray, I guess, although I can pull back or see things in more detail. Plus I have sort of micro-vision where I can sort of zoom in on something. Then there's arctic breath. That's ... that's pretty much it."

That was it? That was already a lot, Lois thought. He must have seen the look on her face as he squeezed her gently.

"Most of my powers didn't start really developing until I was in my teens. I mean, I was already strong and I got my speed when I was about six, but I didn't know I was invulnerable until Lex hit me with his car."

"He what?"

Kyle nodded. "I was fourteen, going on fifteen. It was when Lex first came home from Europe. He'd been out at the plant and I was on Loeb Bridge. He ran over some baling wire and lost control. It was lucky for him that I was invulnerable or else neither of us would have lived to tell the tale."

"Wow!"

"Yeah, I know." He paused. "This doesn't ... I mean, I know you said ..." He sighed. "I don't really know what I want to say."

"It's not going to change the way I feel about you," she said, "so you can get that thought out of your head right now."

"It's just ...you have no idea what it's like to feel so different from everyone else. To feel so cut off."

"Maybe I don't, but it's like you were saying today. We all have things that set us apart from everyone else. I mean, I moved around a lot when I was a kid because my dad was always getting new assignments. I practically had to start off at a new school every year or so. That can be really hard on a kid." She smiled up at him. "You know, the day we met on the beach that time, it was the first time I'd ever met someone I felt an instant connection with."

"I know what you mean," he said softly.

They continued to talk about his abilities and the things he did as the Blur. She began to get the impression that Kyle's family had tried to protect him from the worst of it, but they weren't always successful. There had clearly been a few incidents where things had almost turned bad, but they'd all learned some important lessons.

"Your family means a lot to you," she stated.

He nodded. "Yeah, they do. They've had to put up with a lot. Especially Lex and my mom. I know I act like she annoys me sometimes, and yeah, she can be a little overbearing when she wants to, but she did the best she could. So did Lex."

He stopped walking and turned to face her. It was dark, but there were lights lining the path and one of the lamps shone directly on his face.

"Lois, I ... I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. Most of them have been because I've tried to protect the people I love. I told myself I could never tell anyone the truth about me. I was afraid they might reject me, or even if they didn't, I'd still lose them."

She started to shush him, but he shook his head.

"Do you know when I first began to realise I was in love with you? I think it was always there, except I was too young and immature to see it. I kept pursuing Lana, thinking she was what I wanted. I got so caught up in this idea of the perfect girl and I really thought she was the embodiment of that idea.

"You used to drive me crazy. You always did, I think, especially when we were kids. But, I ... I found myself telling you things I never even told Lex. Not about my powers. It was like you understood me on a deeper level than Lex ever could. You teased me, you challenged me. I used to think that was just how friends acted toward each other, but it was never like that with Chloe. Or even Lana.

"Then there was the night Lana broke up with me."

"Which time?" she asked with a grin.

He chuckled.

"Even though I sometimes felt you disapproved of my relationship with Lana, you never said anything. You were never judgemental."

"I couldn't be," she said softly.

It had killed her every time to see him looking so downtrodden. Lana had never treated him like he deserved to be treated, yet, as he had said, he was so caught up in the illusion of the 'princess' that he didn't see her for what she was. Which was a spoiled girl who wanted to be looked after; who would rather hang on the arm of a good-looking man, be his arm ornament than be her own person. To be fair, it wasn't all Lana's fault. It was the way she had been raised. Her aunt Nell had spoiled her, taught her that she needed to be mollycoddled and protected.

Kyle smiled.

"Anyway, it was when I caught her trying to use the same tricks on Lex that she used on me. She finally turned on me and we had a huge fight."

Lois remembered that. Kyle had thought he'd been in love with Lana and the fight had just about broken him. Lex had called her, asking her to come to the mansion, telling her Kyle was a mess. She had dropped everything and come running.

"You put your arms around me and hugged me tight and I just remember thinking that Lana would never have been there for me that way. And I realised that I'd been holding on to a dream. But you were real. You were there in my arms and I realised how much I'd come to depend on you. I kept thinking about all the times you'd been there for me, and I'd been there for you. I remembered all the talks we'd had and I just knew that you were the one that I've always needed."

She smiled up at him and kissed him gently.

"Why didn't you tell me then?" she asked.

"Because you were still with Oliver."

She chewed on her lip.

"I cared about Oliver. I still do. I mean, he's sort of my cousin now, but ..." She sighed softly. "You remember what it was like. I used to get so ticked off with him because he was always disappearing. I didn't know then that he was Green Arrow. I let it come between us, even when I did find out the truth. I think I knew even then that he wasn't the one." She smiled softly, remembering. "You came over the night he left. I was so miserable I was eating Rocky Road by the spoonful. But you were better than any ice cream. Even Wild Cherry," she chuckled.

"Lex thought I was taking advantage of the situation," Kyle told her, "but all I could see was that you were in pain and I just wanted to ease that pain. Even if it meant pretending I was just your friend."

"My best friend," she replied.

"Your best friend," he amended.

"My love," she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too," he answered. He paused, looking steadily at her. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Tonight, and every night for the rest of our lives, if you'll let me."

XXXXX

Kyle took her hand and led her up to his bedroom. He crossed the floor to the closet, bending down to dig in a small trunk, taking out a small book. It had been passed to him by Virgil Swann's daughter Patricia.

He straightened up and returned to Lois' side, handing her the book. She looked puzzled for a moment until she saw the contents.

"The abridged user's guide to all things Kryptonian," she said with a smile.

"I want you to know me completely," he told her. "Because you're the one. You always will be."

He gently cupped her jaw, pressing his lips to hers. She opened her mouth under his and they kissed, wrapping their arms around each other. His passion for her grew until the need to feel her without barriers intensified. She seemed to feel the same, practically shoving him against the wall, kissing him hungrily as she reached for the buttons on his shirt. It almost seemed like she was the one with the super strength as she tore the shirt open. Buttons flew in all directions, but he didn't care.

They tore at each other's clothes, desperate to feel skin against skin. Kyle slid his hands to her jean-clad ass, lifting her so she wrapped her legs around his waist, using the wall for balance as he devoured her mouth.

"Kyle," she moaned.

He carried her to the bed, laying her down. He felt her trying to push his jeans down but the belt was in the way. She scrabbled for the buckle, fingers clumsy in her passion for him so he had to help her, pushing the denim down and kicking them off.

She looked up at him as he began stripping her own jeans off her, ripping them in his haste. She didn't seem to notice, gazing at him with love in her eyes. Her panties were soaked, the silky fabric dark. Again, she didn't seem to care as he tore the panties, pressing his hand against her sex, his thumb rubbing her as he thrust his fingers inside her.

Lois frowned, grabbing his wrist. He looked at her questioningly as she pushed his hand away, only to wrap one hand around him. She didn't utter a word as she guided him to her opening. He kissed her as he entered her, loving her moans of pleasure as he thrust inside.

They rolled over on the bed so she straddled him, taking him deep within her. He held her by the waist as she began to move above him, rocking against him, her inner muscles squeezing.

It took all of his concentration not to lose control as she rode him, her rhythm building until finally she cried out, her body spasming. They held each other through their mutual climaxes, cuddling close as they calmed.

Not willing to close his eyes and miss another minute with her, he kissed her, pressing his lips gently to her cheeks before taking her lips once again. She opened her eyes, her loving gaze fixed on him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He gently combed his fingers through her hair, pushing back the damp curls before pulling her close, kissing her again.

He ran his fingers up and down her back, feeling her shiver slightly. She let out a soft moan, her own, smaller hand exploring his chest, fingers dancing lightly over his pecs.

She pressed a kiss to his chest, her hair soft as it brushed over his skin.

He rolled her onto her back once again, tasting the slight saltiness of her flesh as he explored her with his mouth. Her fingers curled in his hair as if she was trying to guide him to where she wanted his mouth to be.

Kyle continued his slow exploration, wanting to taste every part of her.

Lois sat up, making him do the same, kissing him, running her fingers through his hair. Kyle once again mouthed her breast and she arched her body, dropping her head back.

He found himself pushed onto his back as Lois pressed soft kisses to his chest, her hair falling in chocolate waves, lightly brushing his skin. She continued downward until she once again took him in hand, curling her fingers around. Kyle lay back, enjoying her slow exploration.

She glanced up at him briefly before dropping her head once again. He felt himself surrounded by wet heat as she opened her mouth and took him in.

Kyle moaned as he felt her tongue slowly sliding over him, her head beginning to bob up and down as she took him almost all the way in, then withdrew. He hardened with every touch of her mouth, every light squeeze of her hand.

It was almost too much and not enough. The feelings so intense it was almost like he was on Red K. She was like a drug to him. One he never wanted to stop taking.

Lois raised her head and grinned at him.

"Do you know you're babbling to yourself?" she said.

He grinned back at her, refusing to answer that.

"C'mere," he said, pulling her up so she straddled him, kissing her deeply.

He rolled her over onto her back and entered her. Lois wrapped her long legs around his waist, urging him to take her deeper and harder.

They made love through the night, not wanting to even sleep and miss a moment of being together. Lois was an enthusiastic lover, willing to try anything and everything he wanted, even adding some of her own desires.

Dawn found them sound asleep, locked in each other's arms.

XXXXX

Lex quietly opened the door to Kal's bedroom, glancing in at the couple, so deep asleep that not even Kal with his super-hearing would know he was there. He grinned. The room was a mess. The bedclothes had been somehow pushed off the bed and were now scattered on the floor, along with their clothes.

Fortunately for them, Lois was lying on top of Kal, so all Lex saw was her back and a little of Kal. He decided not to enter the room and cover them, figuring Lois would be embarrassed thinking he or one of the maids saw her naked. He closed the door softly and crept away.

Downstairs, he spoke to Annie, the maid who lived in town and worked days at the mansion.

"Kyle and Lois are still asleep upstairs. Don't wake them."

She smiled. "So your little plan was a success?" she asked, knowing of the scheme to get Kal and Lois together.

"It was," he beamed.

"Good. It was about time those two stopped trying to pretend otherwise."

"Does everyone in town know?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow.

"We've been taking bets for years," Annie grinned.

"Yeah?" he said. "Who won?"

"Would you believe Jonathan and Martha Kent?" she told him.

He laughed. "Now that I can believe."

After breakfast, he decided it was a good time to make a few calls. The first call he made was the most important one.

"It's Lex."

"Hey babe," came the cheery voice. "What's up?"

"I didn't wake you guys, did I?" he said, glancing at the clock. It wasn't quite seven in Star City.

Chloe chuckled. "You know I've always been an early bird. It's Ollie who likes to sleep in."

"I thought you'd like to know the plan was a great success."

"You're kidding! Wow, they're fast!"

"Well, they have been dancing around the subject for years. I guess they just needed a nudge in the right direction."

"You're right. I'm really happy for them."

"I couldn't have done it without you," he said. "So when are you guys coming for a visit?"

"Actually, we're going to be in Metropolis early next month. Ollie has some business he needs to take care of, so we'll be there for a few days. Why don't we all meet for dinner?"

"Great! I'll look forward to it. Uh, so Kyle tells me you two are expanding." He said it in such a way that she obviously knew immediately what he was talking about.

Chloe groaned. "Your brother has a big mouth. We weren't going to say anything until I'd had a scan."

"So how did he know?"

"He dropped in last week to discuss some League business with Oliver and must have heard me throwing up. You know how he gets. Anyway, he x-rayed me."

"You've had morning sickness?"

"Morning? No. Afternoon, evening, pick a time. I swear, that whole thing about morning sickness is a crock. Thank goodness it seems to be getting better."

"How are you feeling otherwise?"

"Great, actually. Ollie's over the moon. He can't wait to be a dad." She paused. "So, now that you've got your idiot brother and my idiot cousin sorted out, how's your love life?"

He chuckled, remembering their earlier conversation when he'd asked for her help to get Kyle and Lois together.

"Actually, I'm seeing this woman I met at Mom's party the other night. Well, only casually, so far. We actually met years ago, but ..."

"Do tell," Chloe said, sounding as if she was settling down for a lovely long listen.

"Not much to tell, really. I met her at Princeton when she was there modelling for a fashion shoot. She's now an assistant editor at the magazine. She's bright, attractive ..."

"Babe, I don't need her resume," Chloe told him gently. "How do you feel about her?"

"Well, let's see, she teased me about my ears, called me a geek and proceeded to snark at me for the entire night."

She laughed. "And you loved every second of it, didn't you? Sounds like a match made in heaven."

He returned the laugh. If he was honest with himself, he had enjoyed it. He liked the idea of someone treating him as normal, rather than as a well-known, rich guy. They had bickered the entire evening of the party and at lunch the next day. When she'd come to the mansion on Sunday, they had taken up right where they'd left off.

Annie came in as he and Chloe continued to talk, bearing a tray of coffee. She sent him a look and he covered the mouthpiece.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Perry White's on the phone. I didn't want to go upstairs and wake Lois."

"I'll talk to him," Lex said. He turned back to the phone. "Hey, Chloe, I have to take this call. It's Perry."

"No problem, hon. We'll see you next month. Give my love to Kyle and Lois, and your mom."

"Will do. 'Bye."

He took the other phone from Annie, thanking her with a grin.

"Perry?"

"Lex, you wouldn't happen to know where my star reporter is, would you?"

"Yes, actually I do. She's upstairs with my brother. I assume they're still asleep."

"Well, damn! Here I was hoping they'd hold out just a little longer. Guess I owe Jonathan fifty bucks."

"Not you too, Perry," he groaned.

"You're kidding, right? We've been betting on those two for years," Perry laughed. "Listen, tell Lois she doesn't need to rush coming in. Her story on the retreat's earned her a couple days' grace. Of course, I expect her to get back to work on those bank robberies asap."

"I'll pass on the message."

The door opened and he glanced up to see his brother looking sleepy-eyed, his hair tousled. Lois was behind him, her hair a mass of tangled curls. She was wearing one of Kyle's flannel shirts. It was clearly too big for her as the sleeves were rolled up and the hem came down to just above her knees.

"Well, good morning," Lex greeted them, putting down the phone. "That was Perry. He said you don't need to rush coming in."

"Thanks." Lois glanced at the cup in his hand. "Is that fresh coffee?"

He nodded. "I'll call Annie to bring you a cup."

"That's okay," she said. "I'll go get it." She looked up at Kal. "Coffee?"

He smiled and kissed her lips gently. "Coffee would be great."

Kal ran a hand through his hair as Lois went back out. Lex looked at him.

"You guys okay?" he said.

His brother broke out in a wide grin.

"More than okay. We ... I love her, Lex. More than I ever thought I could love anyone."

"I can see that," he replied. "I'm glad. Does she know everything?"

"Yeah. And she doesn't care. Well, I mean, she does, but ..."

"She still treats you like ... you."

He nodded. "That's one of the things I love most about her." He canted his head, looking at Lex curiously. "Uh, so, what about you and the model?"

"I've known her only four days, Kal. Five, I guess."

"But you like her."

Lois came back in, carrying two cups of coffee. Kal sat down on the couch and patted the space beside him. Lois curled up on the couch with him, leaning against him, showing an intimacy that only a couple who were completely comfortable with each other would do.

"Like who?" she asked.

"Lex likes that model he met the other night."

"It's a little too early for that," Lex protested.

"I don't know. Even I saw a few sparks happening the other night," Lois grinned.

Lex sighed. Now that his brother's love life was sorted out, it sounded like the two of them were making it their mission to sort out everyone else's.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Lois wrapped her arms around her lover's neck as they stopped outside her door. Kyle had driven her home and walked up with her to her apartment.

"Home," she said.

He kissed her.

"Have dinner with me," he said.

As if she needed the invitation, she thought.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" she said slyly.

"You know I am," he replied.

She grinned. "You know my answer then."

"What time do you want me to pick you up?"

"Why don't we meet at McGinty's then go to dinner. It's closer to the Planet. I still have to go write a follow-up to the story."

"Why don't I just go to work with you?" he said, clearly not willing to let her go.

"Because we both have jobs to do," she told him, kissing him once more. "I need to go change my clothes and head into work. You, Mr Luthor, need to go talk to that assistant manager at the bank and see if you can get a look at that surveillance equipment."

She fingered the buttons on his shirt. For once, Kyle was wearing a blue silk shirt instead of his usual plaid. Not that she minded the plaid, but the blue brought out the colour in his eyes. Normally his eyes were green, but when he wore certain colours or in another light his eyes appeared to change.

"One more kiss and then I'll let you go change," he said.

She obliged, grinning at him. "You know, you're very spoiled, Mr Luthor."

"Ahh, you love me this way."

"I do," she murmured. "Go to work."

"Yes ma'am," he chuckled, waiting just long enough for her to open her door.

She went to her bedroom and changed her clothes, putting on a skirt and blouse appropriate for the office. She looked through her wardrobe, chewing on her lip. Kyle had said dinner, but she had no idea whether he meant fancy restaurant or something else. She wanted to wear something that would knock his socks off, but nothing too glamorous that it would be too much for the average restaurant.

She finally decided on the classic, little black dress that would show off her athletic figure and her long legs, covering it in a zip bag.

It was one thirty by the time she made it in to work. As soon as her co-workers saw her, they congratulated her on the article. Cat Grant looked more than a little annoyed.

"I don't know how you do it," she said.

"Well, I guess some people are just lucky that way."

"Lucky?" the blonde snorted.

"Maybe if you spent less time gossiping and more time cultivating contacts, you would come up with better stories, Grant," Perry growled. He turned and looked at Lois. "My office, Lane."

Cat turned away, a bitter expression on her face. Lois ignored her and followed her editor-in-chief to his office.

"What's up, Chief?" she asked.

He closed the door, then grinned at her.

"Congratulations, honey, that's a hell of a piece. Of course, I'm not so happy about you nearly getting yourself killed."

"But I didn't, Chief. I survived to tell the tale."

"Good thing you had Luthor to back you up. By the way, I hear you two are dating. I'm happy for you, honey, but don't let it interfere with your work. Speaking of which ..."

"I know. I have a follow-up piece to do on the retreat and Kyle is checking with one of his sources on the bank robberies. Lex did tell us last night that someone from the DDS is involved."

Her boss frowned.

"DDS? Why would they be interested in bank robberies?"

"Well, they're not, actually. They're more interested in who's behind the bank robberies."

"Okay, you've piqued my curiosity."

"According to Lex's source, the bank robbers are meteor-infected. He didn't say exactly what they can do, but I guess we'll find that out soon enough."

"What about the security guard who was killed?"

"They're still trying to figure that one out too. Kyle told me Lucas had one guy in custody but if they can't get any physical evidence connecting him to the murder, they have to let him go."

"Which is unfortunate."

"Anyway, they've promised to keep me updated. I thought I might check in with a few sources of my own, see what they can dig up."

"Good. Keep me informed."

"Thanks Chief."

Lois made her way downstairs to her office and immediately set to work on her follow-up piece to the one on the retreat. She spent the rest of the afternoon making phone calls to her various contacts, trying to find anything that would help Kyle solve the mystery of the bank robberies.

At six, she logged off her computer and went to change her clothes, redoing her make-up, adding blusher, eyeshadow, eyeliner and a touch more mascara. She took the pins out of her hair so it tumbled down, long and loose, past her shoulders. Just as she was changing from her more sensible pumps to high-heeled sandals, her phone beeped, alerting her to a text. She glanced at the message.  
><em><br>Running a little late. Tell you all about it when I see you. Love, K._

She sent a message back telling him it was okay and she would see him at the bar. She checked her reflection and picked up her purse, closing her office door.

"Where are you headed in such a hurry?" Cat asked snidely as she entered the elevator.

"I happen to have a date," she told her.

"You? Who would want to date you?"

"It's none of your business, Cat. Good night."

She turned away from the blonde, waiting impatiently for the elevator to arrive at the first floor. When the doors opened she was first out, her heels clicking on the tile floor of the lobby.

She arrived at McGinty's a few minutes later, sitting at her usual spot at the bar. Eddie whistled as he saw her.

"You're pretty dressed up for a night at the bar, Lane. Got a hot date?"

She smiled mysteriously, refusing to answer, ordering herself a wine spritzer. Eddie cocked an eyebrow at her.

"No beer?"

"Not tonight," she said.

The man leaned on the bar, peering at her curiously.

"You look different, Lane. Happy. This wouldn't have anything to do with what I read on the front page of the Planet this morning, would it?"

"Maybe," she said, smirking at him.

A hand reached for the basket of pretzels beside her and she looked around.

"That was one hell of a story, Lane. I don't know how you do it."

She smiled at Jason.

"Sometimes a girl just gets lucky."

The other man looked her up and down.

"Looking hot, Lane."

"She's got a hot date," Eddie replied.

"Yeah? With who?"

"What is this? The Spanish Inquisition?" Lois asked. "So I have a hot date."

"Who is this mystery guy, Lois?" Eddie returned, handing her a glass.

She smiled non-committally, sipping her drink. The two men tried to get it out of her for the next few minutes, until someone else came in and Eddie had to serve them.

"So, how's it going with Danielle?" she asked Jason.

"She's a pretty cool chick," Jason replied. "Smart, funny, sexy as hell. We're having dinner tomorrow night."

"That's great," she said, genuinely happy for him. She remembered only too well the angst he went through with Lana.

"So you gonna tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

Lois glanced up at Kyle, who had clearly come in so quietly no one appeared to notice. He had changed clothes again and was wearing a black silk shirt and dark grey wool trousers.

"About this hot date she's got tonight," Jason returned.

"Hot huh?" Kyle replied.

"Oh yeah," she said, giving him a small smile. "In fact, he's so sexy he makes my toes curl."

"I'd like to see that," he told her.

"Bet you would," she returned in a soft voice as he moved to stand beside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

"No way!" she heard Jason splutter.

Kyle grinned down at her as they pulled apart. Eddie stood, blinking in shock at them. Jason was laughing.

"Dude, that's a Ben Franklin you owe me."

Eddie made a face. "Take a check?" he asked.

Lois looked at them incredulously.

"You bet on us?"

Kyle grinned at her. "They're not the only ones. Lex told me the whole of Smallville had a pool going."

She had to laugh. It seemed the entire town knew how they felt about each other before they did.

"Ready to go?" Kyle asked.

She nodded, grabbing her bag and hopping off the stool.

"See you guys later," Kyle told the two men at the bar. As they were walking out, she felt his hand on her back. "By the way, you look beautiful."

"Thank you, kind sir," she replied, cuddling close to him.

XXXXX

Kyle had decided to take her to dinner at one of his favourite restaurants. Adriana's Caffe & Ristorante was a small restaurant serving exclusively Italian cuisine. He knew Lois loved Italian food. Her father had been assigned to a base near Pisa when she had been twelve and they had spent almost a year there.

Lois had learned to speak Italian and fallen in love with the area, as well as the cuisine.

As soon as the waiter had taken their drinks orders, Lois leaned forward.

"So, what happened?"

"There was another bank robbery," he said quietly. "Same MO."

"They're getting bolder," she mused. "You'd think with all the heat on them they'd be backing off."

"Yeah. Our client wasn't too happy. Lex said he called and yelled at him for half an hour. I guess it didn't help that he lost one of his own people."

"Why do you think they killed the guard?"

"When they were on the stake-out the other night, Lex said he overheard the men talking about how the guard recognised Floyd."

"That makes me wonder if it's an inside job."

"Yeah, that's our theory too. I talked to Carol at Metro-West and had a look at their surveillance equipment. There's nothing wrong with it, that I could see, but it would take someone with more expertise in electronics than I have to know for sure."

"What did she say?"

"Carol? Not much she could say. Lucas could always get a warrant to look at the equipment, but I don't think it's anyone working at that bank."

The manager, Pachelli, had kicked up a fuss, but Kyle had quietly reminded him that the bank's owner would most likely prefer to have the matter cleared up rather than risk another bank robbery.

"Otherwise I'm sure they would have known about the alarm system," Lois replied.

That was true, he thought. Still, it didn't get them any closer to solving the mystery.

"I did some calling around of my contacts," Lois told him. "Maybe they can come up with something."

"That's a good idea. Thanks."

"Of course, you know I want the story when you do solve it."

He grinned. "Of course."

The waiter returned to get their dinner orders and Kyle spoke to him in Italian. Lois chuckled.

"I'm impressed," she said when the other man had left. "Can you speak other languages?"

"Well, other than my native language, I guess about five or six. You know I spent the summer after graduation travelling around a little."

It had been Lex's idea. Jor-El had demanded that Kyle go to the fortress for training and his brother had suggested the cover of travelling around Europe and Asia. Kyle had managed to spend some time there after he'd completed his training.

"Actually, that's not completely true," he admitted. "Jor-El wanted me to go for training that summer and Lex told people I was backpacking around Europe and Asia. I did manage to get to see some of the sights though. And I learned some of the languages. I'm a quick study."

"It did occur to me," she said. "About the training, I mean. So, tell me more about the training. What did you have to do?"

"Well, a lot of it was history, but some of it was physical training."

Conscious of the fact they were in a public place, he didn't want to go into detail. Lois seemed to understand.

They talked about other things while they waited for their dinners to be served. Kyle thought he knew everything, or almost everything about Lois, but as they talked he realised there were some things he either didn't know or overlooked about her, without meaning to. When she talked about her work, he was impressed with her passion for her job. She had an amazing memory for facts and figures and related things in such a way that made it interesting. She was a good storyteller, which made her a good reporter.

Lex often talked about various people in history who had never been known for their academic smarts, but when it came to their passions they could be considered geniuses. Kyle firmly believed that intelligence wasn't something that could be measured by a number, since there were so many different levels to the concept. The fact that someone could do well on a test had no bearing on their true intelligence. A person could study and memorise pages of text, but they weren't necessarily comprehending what they read.

This was how he saw Lois. As someone who didn't necessarily perform well when it came to academic scores but proved themselves in other ways.

The one thing he admired about her most was that there were no hidden agendas with her. She was who she was and she didn't apologise for it. She'd always been true to herself and had never let anyone else sway her.

He smiled, taking a sip of his wine. She looked back at him.

"What?"

"I was just ... thinking."

"About what?"

He reached across the table and took her hand. "You."

She smiled, appearing a little nervous.

"What about me?"

"All the time I've known you, you've never changed."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Definitely," he said.

Their dinners were brought out and they became occupied with their food. After the dinner plates were cleared, Kyle decided to forego dessert, asking for the check instead.

He drove back to Lois' apartment building.

"Do you want to come up?" she asked tentatively.

He kissed her cheek. "Try and stop me," he said, finding a park near the entrance. He got out of the truck, quickly moving around to the passenger side to take her hand as she stepped out.

Lois switched on the coffee as soon as they entered her apartment. It was a modest, two-bedroom with a large, open-plan living room and kitchen area. It had a sliding door which opened out to a small terrace which overlooked the city.

Lois had furnished it with an overstuffed chair and a two-seater couch, both covered with a cream-coloured velour fabric. Kyle had spent a little time in the apartment and loved the comfortable furnishings. Unlike the mansion in Smallville, which, while it had been his home, could seem rather pretentious. He didn't feel like he had to put on airs in her apartment. It was as much a reflection of Lois' personality as anything else.

Lois made them both coffee and sat down on the couch beside him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

"Tell me about Krypton."

"What do you want to know?" he asked quietly.

"You said you learned a little of your history when you were doing your training."

He nodded, then began to tell her the story of the destruction of Krypton. Centuries earlier, there had been a war which had devastated the planet, driving the people into the cities where they were protected from the poisoned environment.

Thirty years before Krypton had exploded, Kyle's father had been a scientist, dedicated to finding ways to repair the environment. He had been close friends with a man named Dru-Zod, who was a soldier, leading others into battle against a group of separatists called Black Zero.

The war had started because the separatists had chosen to speak out against the Kryptonian Council, which they claimed was curbing the people's freedom with a set of laws they'd decided were archaic. The council had responded by sending in its best warriors.

Jor-El had been trying to find ways to help Zod and his warriors in the battle, eventually inventing an artificial intelligence known as the Brain Interactive Construct, or Brainiac for short. Thanks to the strategies Brainiac came up with, Black Zero was defeated, but not before many people, including Zod's own wife and son, were killed.

Zod began to change, slowly becoming just as power-hungry as the separatists he'd once fought against, joining forces with Jor-El's brother Zor-El, taking up the same cause as Black Zero, blaming the council for its inability to protect its citizens.

Jor-El, meanwhile, had married a woman named Lara Lor-Van. The marriage had been arranged by his father, Seyg-El and Jor-El had at first not been happy, rather more occupied with his work than in building a marriage with a woman, who, though she was beautiful, seemed to have absolutely nothing in common with him. For the first few months of their lifebond, the pair drove each other to distraction. It hadn't helped that Zor-El had also had his eye on Lara and had been almost insane with jealousy.

Zor-El had later joined in a lifebond with Alura In-Ze, but the marriage had been tumultuous. The couple had one child, a daughter, Kara. Alura had left Zor-El when Kara had been about ten years old, although it had never been clear why.

Jor-El and Lara began working together on his various scientific projects and eventually Jor-El fell deeply in love with his wife. The couple had been disappointed when their union failed to produce a child year after year. Then, nine months before Krypton was destroyed, Lara gave Jor-El the gift he had been waiting for for so long.

Kal-El would be their miracle, she told him, and he rejoiced, even while he quietly feared for their future. His studies into the environment had brought him some disquieting news. Zor-El had been strip-mining the planet's resources, leading to instability in the core. The planet had been experiencing seismic tremors which Jor-El believed would eventually worsen, to the point they would destroy Krypton.

His brother had claimed that the ore he was mining was to help in the war with Zod, but Jor-El had since learned that the two were working together. To top it off, Brainiac had been reprogrammed so he was now helping the enemy camp.

Within months, however, Zod was defeated and imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, along with his wife and several of his followers. Thousands more warriors had died in the final battle, from both sides, and the council had been all but decimated. Zor-El too had been sentenced to the Phantom Zone but had managed to escape before the sentence could be carried out.

It was too late to stop Krypton from self-destructing. The newly elected council members forbade anyone from leaving the planet and threatened Jor-El with expulsion if he even dared tell anyone of the imminent destruction. Helpless, Jor-El came up with a plan which he worked on in secret with Lara and his assistant Raya. Together, they built a tiny pod which would carry the soon-to-be-born Kal-El light years away from Krypton. To Earth.

Lois was pale as Kyle paused in his story. She looked as if she wanted to cry.

"So they sent you away?"

He nodded. "To save me."

"That's so sad. Why couldn't they save themselves?"

"Jor-El said the council was blinded by its own superiority. I guess they never really believed it would happen and just thought he was making it out to be worse than it was."

"Millions of people," she said. "All wiped out." She clutched his hand, her other hand stroking his arm in what was clearly meant to be a gesture of comfort. "That's such a sad story. I can see now why you've always felt so alone. It must have been devastating when you found out."

"It wasn't the easiest thing to hear," he sighed.

"So, why did your dad choose Earth?"

"Well, our people looked alike. I mean, our physiology is generally the same, except I think because Krypton was such a cold planet our people learned to draw energy in a different way than humans. Plus Krypton had a red sun, and it's the yellow sun that gives me the powers."

"Yeah, you told me." She looked thoughtful. "Do you think maybe we have a common ancestry somewhere along the line?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? We'd be going back thousands of years. And who's to say it's not possible? I mean, what if there was a race somewhere out in the galaxy that spread out and colonised the planets thousands of years ago?"

She grinned and nodded.

"Anyway, people on Krypton had been coming to Earth for years and my father spent some time here. He told me that he saw humans making the same mistakes that led to the environmental disaster on Krypton and he thought I could guide the people of Earth to prevent that."

"Well, I for one am glad your parents sent you here. Otherwise we would never have met."

He pulled her close and kissed her. "Me too," he said quietly.

She returned the kiss, deepening it. He pulled her close so she straddled his lap. Her moan became a satisfied hum as they kissed again, their tongues almost duelling.

"God, Lois, you're so beautiful," he murmured.

"I love you," she whispered.

He rose easily, still holding her in his arms. She wrapped herself around him as he carried her into her bedroom, kissing her once more as he lowered her to the bed, quickly stripping his clothes off before joining her on the bed.

He thought he wanted to take it slowly, tease her to the point of breaking, kiss her everywhere until she begged for him, but his body refused to comply. He wanted her, plain and simple, and he wanted her now.

Lois rolled over, straddling him, slowly sliding the wide straps of her dress off her shoulders and down her arms, a seductive look in her eyes. He gazed back at her, licking his lips as she reached behind her and unzipped the dress, loosening the tight bodice to reveal the creamy mounds of her breasts encased in a lacy black bra.

He reached up, pulling her down to kiss her, wrapping his hands in her long hair. She moaned softly.

"Kyle."

The kissing became more passionate as they moved together. Kyle pulled Lois' dress off all the way, tossing it on the floor. He rolled onto his side, his hands busy at her back, unhooking the bra and tossing that on the floor as well.

Lois hooked her leg over his hip, rocking her body against him. Too impatient to try and pull her panties all the way off, he pulled until the fabric broke, eliciting a gasp from his lover.

"Kyle! Those were my favourites!"

"I'll buy you more," he promised her. He didn't care if he had to buy a dozen of them. He was hard and aching and needed to be inside her now.

She seemed to sense his need and shifted. Lois opened her eyes and looked at him, her hazel eyes twinkling in the moonlight shining in the window of her bedroom. She gasped again as he thrust all the way inside, her muscles tightening around him.

They rolled once more on the bed, Lois straddling him. He reached up for her and she grabbed his hands, curling her fingers in-between his as she began moving her body up and down.

XXXXX

Lex had spent the day studying all of Chloe's research from years ago when she had still kept a database on all the people affected by the meteors. He thought if Van McNulty was involved, especially if the DDS had recruited him just to find meteor freaks, then there was a good chance they'd already encountered the person.

It had occurred to him to wonder what the DDS was doing studying meteor freaks. They were, after all, the Department of Domestic Security. Then again, if those affected by the meteors were considered a threat to national security it made sense for them to be locked up. Still, it worried him that they were less interested in locking them up and more interested in what abilities each one had.

He decided to call McNulty and see what he knew about his bosses' agenda.

"It's Lex," he said, when the other man answered. "I'd like to talk."

"What about?"

"I'll explain in more detail when we meet. My office at nine tomorrow."

"Luthor, you really think you can just order me ..."

"My office, my rules."

"I'd rather it be neutral territory."

"What I have to discuss with you shouldn't be overheard in a public arena. You ..."

He heard a noise behind him and whirled, staring in shock at the intruder. The man was wearing a black leather jacket and a black balaclava over his face.

"Surprise, rich boy," the man sneered.

"How did you get in here?" he asked.

"Same way I got in last time," the man laughed.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Lex recognised that voice. He dropped the phone and stepped back but the man was too quick for him, grabbing him by the throat and tossing him through the air.

"You're dead," he gasped. "My brother saw you die."

"Guess again, Luthor!" the man snarled.

Lex struggled to get to his feet, but was quickly cornered by the shorter man. He gasped as the man thrust his fist into his chest. Instead of hitting him, the fist went through him. He found himself barely able to breathe for the sudden pain in his chest as his heart was squeezed.

He weakly pushed with both hands, trying to shove the intruder away, but he was close to blacking out. If he could just ...

XXXXX

Kyle was woken by the sound of a phone ringing. He felt Lois move beside him, grumbling sleepily.

"Wha...?" she mumbled. She rolled over, reaching blindly for the phone on the night stand, almost sweeping it onto the floor. "Lane," she said.

He watched as she listened for a moment, then seemed to become more alert as her eyes widened.

"Okay," she replied. She hung up the phone and turned to look at him with a frown on her face. "Some rude jerk told me to tell you to get your ass to Smallville. Something about Lex in trouble."

Kyle frowned. "How did he even know I was here?"

She shrugged. "Do I look like I'm psychic?" she asked mildly.

He grinned and got out of bed, dressing at super speed. Lois looked dazed as she lay in bed.

"Wow!" she said.

He chuckled and leaned over to give her a quick kiss.

"I'll be back," he told her, running out.

Lois lay back, blinking. She'd seen it, but if she hadn't she never would have believed it.

"That's gonna take some getting used to," she said to herself.

She grinned and rolled over, hugging the pillow which was still warm from Kyle's body heat. She could smell his cologne, a scent that reminded her a little of bright summer days in Smallville when Kyle had just been her best friend. A best friend who, she had to admit, she had been falling in love with for years.

She fell asleep comforted by the little reminder of his presence.

Kyle made it to the mansion in minutes. His super-hearing picked up the sounds of a struggle. His brother was grunting in pain, wheezing, almost as if he'd suddenly had an asthma attack.

As soon as he reached the study, he realised the source of that pain. A masked man stood over Lex, one hand inside his chest. Kyle's eyes widened. The hand was inside his brother's chest!

He x-rayed, startled to learn the identity of the masked intruder.

"Mahaney!" he growled.

The man looked up and smirked at him.

"Well, if it isn't the boyscout!" he sneered.

"Get away from my brother!" he growled.

Wade Mahaney stepped back, holding out his hands.

"How are you going to stop me?" he sniggered. "You couldn't stop me last time!"

Kyle watched the man warily, aware of his brother still on the floor. Lex had passed out from the pain. He could hear his brother's heart beating frantically, trying to compensate for whatever Wade had done to it.

He narrowed his eyes as he glared at the other man. Wade had been one of the three men who had broken in to the mansion freshman year and almost killed Chloe. Kyle could still see the faded tattoos on the man's arm, even though it had been ten years since that night.

"So, you've graduated from bank robbery to attempted murder?" he said.

Wade just laughed nastily. He had clearly become unhinged in the past ten years. Yet Kyle couldn't figure out how the man had managed to survive an entire car being dropped on him. He'd seen the tattoo stop glowing.

It was Chloe who had helped them figure out the key to the mystery. She'd still been in the hospital, her arm broken. She'd been bored, but then Chloe had never been one to just sit still and do nothing, even when sick or injured. Pete had managed to hijack a phone line so Chloe could surf the net and she had been doing some research. She had theorised that the three men were able to walk through solid objects because they'd been using meteor rock to speed up their metabolism. Chloe thought that meant it had caused their molecules to move at hyper-speed.

There was a price, however. The more meteor rock used, the more it got into their system, the more chance of it actually killing them.

That was what Kyle had thought had happened to Wade. Whitney had become involved with the gang, wanting to escape from his life after he'd lost his scholarship to Met U, but he hadn't counted on being thrust into a life of crime. He'd gone to Kyle, asking for his help and they'd been digging around the loft, looking for evidence when the trio had returned, threatening to kill them both.

Kyle had managed to get free, thanks to Lex, running to help Whitney just in time to see the car dropped on Wade.

His moment of distraction gave the other man enough time to approach him. Kyle gasped as Wade thrust a hand inside his own chest and squeezed. He lashed out with his fist, but it was as if he was striking air. Wade was like a ghost.

Again, the man laughed, squeezing harder so Kyle groaned in agony.

"Told you, boyscout, you can't beat me."

There was only one thing left to do, Kyle decided. He took a deep breath and blew out. The other man gasped and withdrew his hand, looking down as his body began to freeze.

"Hey, what the ..." Whatever he was going to say was abruptly cut off as his body completely froze.

Kyle turned away to bend down beside his brother. Lex was unconscious, his heart alarmingly slow. Taking a chance that Wade wouldn't thaw out any time soon, he gathered his brother in his arms and sped off with him to Smallville Medical Center.

A few seconds later, he walked through the doors.

"I need some help here," he yelled.

"Kyle?"

He turned and looked at the older man standing in the corridor.

"Jonathan? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Jonathan said, glancing at Lex. "Is Lex okay?"

"Um, no," he replied.

An orderly appeared with a gurney, a doctor following behind. He laid his brother gently on the gurney.

"What happened?"

"He was attacked." He quickly told the doctor what had happened. She just shook her head and sighed.

"Only in Smallville," she muttered. She nodded reassuringly. "We'll take care of him, Mr Luthor."

Kyle watched as Lex was wheeled away, then turned back to Jonathan.

"Are you guys all right?" he asked.

"Clark's in surgery."

Kyle frowned at the worried look on the older man's face.

"Is he ..."

"His appendix. It's been worrying him for months and it burst tonight." Kyle suppressed a gasp. A burst appendix could have serious complications. Still, the blonde farmer didn't need to add to his worries.

"Where's Martha?" he asked, looking around for the redhead. He spotted her walking down the corridor holding two cups which clearly contained coffee. She handed one to her husband.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

Martha turned to look at Kyle.

"I just saw Lex being wheeled to an exam room. Are you boys all right?"

"I'm fine," Kyle assured her. "I'm just worried about Lex. A case we've been investigating just took a turn for the worse."

He followed the couple to a waiting room and sat down, sighing, then stood up again, remembering Lois.

"I should call Lois," he said. "She'll probably be wondering what's happened."

"We heard the two of you were together," Jonathan said. "We're glad, son. She's good for you. You're good for each other, I think."

"Thanks," he smiled. "Excuse me."

He called Lois and smiled at the sleepiness in her voice as she answered.

"Hey, it's me. I'm at Smallville Medical Center."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Lex was hurt. They're checking him out now."

"Do you want me to come down?" she asked.

"No, you stay there and get some sleep. I promise I'll call you as soon as I know more."

"What about the guy who attacked Lex?"

"I took care of him," he said.

"Okay. Let me know, though, okay?"

"I will, I promise."

It was another hour before he heard anything. Dr Hardin entered the waiting room.

"Kyle," she said.

"How is he?"

"He's conscious. We want him to stay the rest of the night for observation, but Lex is being rather stubborn, I'm afraid."

In spite of the tension, Jonathan chuckled.

"That's Lex, all right. He gets that from his mother."

Kyle grinned at the farmer, then looked back at Dr Hardin.

"I can go talk to him," he said.

"Well, I certainly hope you can talk him out of leaving."

Another doctor came in, taking off a surgical cap.

"Mr and Mrs Kent, your son is in recovery. He's going to be just fine."

The couple exchanged relieved smiles, hugging. Kyle left them talking with the surgeon, following Dr Hardin down the corridor to the examination room. He could hear Lex complaining loudly.

"I assure you, I'm fine. Nothing a good night's sleep won't cure," he said.

"Mr Luthor, it is in your best interests that you stay so we can monitor you."

"I don't need monitoring. I ..."

Kyle observed his brother trying to get out of the bed, while the nurse was still trying to keep him there.

"Lex, you should listen to them."

Lex looked at him, a stubborn set to his jaw.

"Kyle ..."

The nurse glanced at him, then at Dr Hardin, before leaving the room so the brothers could talk.

"Lex, Mahaney could have killed you."

"Don't you think you're over-reacting a little?" his brother replied.

Kyle could be just as stubborn when he wanted to be. He stood with his arms folded, glaring at his brother.

"No, I don't!" he answered firmly. "Considering what you went through a few years ago, I think my reaction is justified."

"Are you still blaming yourself for that?" Lex returned. "How many times do I have to tell you? That was my decision, not yours."

"If I hadn't run away in the first place, it wouldn't have happened."

"Damn it, Kyle, you were a kid! Besides, there were a lot more options than the deal I made, so don't even start with me."

"I'm still inclined to agree with the doctors, Lex. Don't make me call Mom!"

Lex narrowed his eyes at him.

"Don't even think of playing that card, Kyle Luthor!"

Kyle just grinned unrepentantly.

"Why not? You use it on me all the time!"

"That's because you're a brat!"

He laughed. "Takes one to know one," he said.

Lex sighed, putting on a long-suffering look.

"You know what? Fine! I'm too tired to argue with you. But if you tell Mom about this, I swear you will never hear the end of it."

"I won't tell her. Promise. Boy scout's honour," he said, holding up his left hand in what he assumed was the correct salute. Lex just rolled his eyes.

"One, you were never a boy scout, and two, that's the wrong hand, doofus."

"Just making sure you were paying attention," he grinned.

Kyle left the room and spoke to the doctor, telling her his brother had agreed to stay under observation. At least until they were assured his heart had resumed a normal rhythm.

Relieved that his brother was going to be okay, he left the hospital and returned to the mansion to check on Mahaney. He supposed he should have been surprised at what greeted him, but he wasn't.

"McNulty," he said flatly, looking at the man who was sitting calmly in Lex's chair at the desk.

"Hello Kyle," the other man said. "I believe I have you to thank for this," he added, gesturing at the still frozen Mahaney.

"What are you planning to do with him? Or rather, what is the DDS planning to do with him?"

McNulty shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care."

"You should care," Kyle said, crossing to the bar. It was three in the morning, but if anything called for a drink ...

"You still don't trust me, do you?" the other man observed.

Kyle poured himself a finger of scotch and turned to look at his former enemy, leaning against the bar. The pose was casual, but he was feeling anything but.

"Should I? More to the point, shouldn't you care more about what the DDS is going to do to him? Or any of the others you capture?"

"No," McNulty replied. "Nor should you. Unless you step out of line."

That sounded rather like a threat. Kyle smiled thinly.

"Yeah? What will they do, McNulty? Haul me away and experiment on me? You know that's what they're going to do to him," he added, nodding toward the other man.

"So? Maybe guys like him deserve it."

"You haven't changed at all, have you?" Kyle told him. "You might not be killing them ..."

"They're still dangerous," McNulty snapped. "They deserve everything they get."

"So they deserve to be guinea pigs in some science experiment?" he returned. "Guys like Mahaney should be locked up, like any other criminal."

"You self-righteous prick! It's a pity I didn't kill you when I shot you."

Kyle wasn't going to let on just how close he had been to actually dying. He turned away from the other man, refusing to continue the argument, making a silent vow that he would find out what the DDS was doing and put a stop to it. Somehow.

McNulty just snorted. Two other men came in, taking Mahaney away. Kyle had no idea how they were going to contain the man, considering the fact that he seemed to be able to make his molecules move at hyper-speed at will, without the aid of the Kryptonite. Freezing him had stopped him from doing so, but Kyle knew it wouldn't hold the man for long.

McNulty stood, smirking.

"See you round, Luthor," he said, giving him a mock salute.

"Not if I see you first," Kyle murmured as the other man left.

He didn't bother seeing his former enemy out, flying back to Metropolis and Lois' apartment. She was asleep as he slipped into bed beside her, but she snorted and woke with a start.

"Kyle?" she murmured sleepily.

"Yeah, baby, it's me. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"S'okay. How's Lex?"

"Being a stubborn ass, as usual. Doctors are keeping him for observation."

"What happened?" she asked, her eyes half-open. She yawned.

"I'll tell you everything in the morning," he promised. "Go back to sleep."

"'K," she replied, snuggling up to him. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and pulled her close. She wrapped an arm around his waist and laid her head on his chest. "Missed you," she said, before falling asleep again.

Kyle gently stroked her hair until his body began to relax into sleep.

XXXXX

Kyle was still asleep when Lois woke around seven the next morning. She grinned at him. He looked younger in sleep, but then again, she figured everyone did when their faces were relaxed and calm.

She rose as quietly as she could, careful not to disturb her boyfriend. She found herself grinning at the idea that Kyle was her boyfriend. Although, technically, she thought, could he be called a boyfriend when he was hardly a boy? Then again, man friend just didn't have the same rhythm.

"You think way too much about this stuff," she told herself, going to the bathroom to take a shower.

She was pleasantly surprised a few minutes later when the glass door of her shower slid aside to reveal a naked and grinning Kyle. She let her gaze drop slowly down his gorgeous body, admiring the golden skin, the broad, muscular chest, the trail of fine dark hair leading from his navel to his long, hard ...

"Decided you'd join me?" she asked, wondering where that breathy tone had come from.

"That's if you don't mind," he replied with a lascivious smirk.

"Mind?" she returned, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into the shower with her. "I'd mind if you didn't."

Twenty minutes later, Kyle was in the kitchen, wearing the clothes he'd worn for their date, cooking pancakes. Lois watched him.

"I didn't think you cooked," she said.

"My mom was a stickler for making sure we all learned to be self-reliant. She taught Lex to cook before he went to Princeton because she didn't want him eating just any old thing."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing she did," she replied.

He turned from the frying pan and cocked an eyebrow at her.

"You never cook?"

"It's not something I do," she told him, grinning.

"Why? Lack of time?"

"No, no. Lack of talent."

He laughed. "Cooking's not that hard, Lois."

"You're kidding, right? I burn water. Or don't you remember my famous rum cake?"

He made a face and she laughed at him. She had baked a rum cake for his nineteenth birthday but it had been a complete disaster. The mixture had been too wet and it had ended up raw in the middle and completely lopsided.

The pancakes were done and Kyle served them with powdered sugar and maple syrup. Lois sat beside him, taking one of the pancakes and dusting sugar on top.

"So, what happened?"

"Turns out one of the bank robbers was an old enemy. Did I ever tell you about Whitney Fordman?"

She shook her head.

"Well, see, Whitney was Lana's boyfriend her freshman year. He was captain of the football team, had a scholarship to Met U and everything. I mean, his future was pretty sewn up. Then his dad got sick. Heart problems. Whitney was stuck working in his dad's store, practically running the place. In some ways, I just don't think he was ready for the responsibility. Anyway, he knew these guys, Wade, Scott and some other guy. I don't really remember his name."

"They were bad guys?"

"Wade especially. See, Wade figured out how to make tattoo ink out of meteor rock and it sped up their metabolism. It basically meant they could walk through solid objects. When we were first hired to investigate the bank robberies, it was one of the first things Lex and I thought of."

"So what happened?"

"They robbed the mansion and ..."

Lois frowned. She remembered Chloe being hospitalised a couple of times in freshman year.

"Was this when Chloe broke her arm?"

Kyle nodded. "Yeah. She wanted to interview Lex for a class project and that's when the guys came out of nowhere. I couldn't do anything because of the meteor rock." A guilty look flashed on his face. "If I'd just been able to get there ..."

She put a hand on his arm.

"It wasn't your fault. And she was fine. Don't beat yourself up."

"That's what Chloe said," he replied with a weak smile. "Anyway, Lex told me if I was so mad about it then I should do what I can to put them away. So, he decided to help me. I mean, it wasn't about the stuff they stole. It was because our friend had been hurt."

"So you could say that was your first attempt at investigating?"

He snickered. "Chloe dragged me into so many of her scrapes it's a wonder I'm still here to talk about it. Seriously, I guess you could say I always had a penchant for it."

"So, you were leading up to tell me what happened last night?"

Kyle nodded. "Yeah. I thought Wade was dead. I saw him get crushed by a car." He frowned. "Actually, all I saw was the car coming down. We never saw a body."

"He attacked Lex?"

"Put a hand through his chest wall and started crushing his heart. Lex was barely conscious when I got there and he passed out. I dealt with Wade and got Lex to the hospital."

"But he's okay, right?" Lois said, biting her lip out of worry for her friend.

"The doctors say he's going to be fine. Lex is kind of unique. I mean, the meteor shower did more than make him bald. He's never been sick a day in his life since then and it means he heals faster than normal people."

Kyle still looked concerned though and Lois wondered whether perhaps he thought that this time it might be too much for his brother.

XXXXX

Lex was tired of sitting still. Tired and bored. The nurse had switched on the television but his only choices were daytime soaps or inane talk shows where people spent half their time trying to kill each other. The joys of daytime television, he sighed. The hospital didn't have cable.

Jacquie had phoned earlier after Kyle had called her to tell her Lex was in the hospital and he had spent half the time on the phone bickering with her. At least Jacquie had managed to provide some entertainment.

"Lex?"

He looked up and stared at Lana, who stood in the doorway of his room.

"Lana," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just visiting a sick friend when I saw you were here. What happened?"

"Nothing, really," he told her, not wanting to go into detail. It wasn't any of her business anyway. "I'll be out of here tomorrow."

She nodded distractedly.

"Um, so I've been trying to call Kyle. He hasn't been picking up."

Considering his brother was spending the day with Lois, who was helping him check out some more leads on the case, he wasn't surprised Kyle wasn't answering his calls.

"I'm sure he's just busy on a case," he said.

"Of course. You're right." She didn't seem all that interested in his reply. Lex guessed her only interest was in seeing whether Kyle was pining for her. Lana had always struck him as rather self-centred, as if expecting the world to revolve around her.

"Well, I'll let you get some rest," she told him.

"Thanks for stopping by," he said dismissively.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Lois had had a call from one of her contacts who claimed to know something about the bank robberies. He'd demanded she meet him later that afternoon. Kyle, meanwhile, had called Lucas, who had been forced to cut Floyd loose. His brother had told him that the most they could charge Floyd with was being an accessory after the fact. There was still no physical evidence tying the man to the death of the guard.

The medical examiner had come back with a cause of death. The guard had been strangled, but it had only become obvious after examination. The most pronounced sign had been petechial haemorrhaging.

Kyle had decided the best course of action was to follow Floyd and see who the man met with. Lois had insisted on going along and as much as he wanted to tell her no, he knew she wasn't going to take that for an answer.

So far, Floyd hadn't done anything or met with anyone incriminating and Kyle had been following him for the past three hours. He was beginning to think Floyd was a dead end.

"What are you thinking?" Lois asked as they sat at a cafe. Across the road, their quarry had stopped at a sandwich restaurant.

"I'm thinking we're wasting our time with Floyd."

She stirred her coffee and glanced at the screen on her phone.

"I've got about thirty minutes before I have to go meet my contact," she sighed.

"I'll go with you," he offered.

She smiled, her eyes crinkling in the corners.

"I'd love that, honey, but he gets kind of cagey. It's taken me two years to get him to a point where he'll freely offer information. Not even the Blur could get it out of him."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I could ..."

"Baby, you don't have to go all over-protective on me. I'm a big girl. I can handle myself with this guy. I've known him for over two years and I've never had any reason to worry."

He nodded. "All right. But promise me you'll call me if you need me."

Lois left shortly after, while he stayed in the cafe. Floyd was still across the road in the restaurant. Kyle had no idea what Floyd was planning, if anything. The man didn't strike him as particularly bright.

His phone vibrated and he picked it up.

"Luthor."

"I'm bored. Tell me what's going on."

Kyle chuckled. "Lex, you're supposed to be resting."

"Rest schmest. Do you know what goes on in hospitals during the day?"

"Uh, patients recuperating? Surgery? Emergencies?"

"Daytime television, Kal. It has got to be the most mind-numbing experience known to man."

"Daytime television?"

"I've been watching this daytime soap opera. I swear, it's almost as bad as watching you go through your dramas with Lana."

"Hey!" he said in protest, for it had to be done.

"I've got the sound off but I can still tell you exactly what's going on. There's this girl. Kristin. She's married to Billy Bob, or whatever the hell his name is. Only she's in love with this other guy. Norton. What the hell kind of name is Norton? Oh, and you know what? There's this other guy who totally reminds me of Oliver."

"Lex," he began, glancing up. Floyd had left the restaurant without him noticing while he'd been listening to his brother. "I've been following Floyd."

He quickly scanned the area with his micro-vision and spotted Floyd a couple of hundred yards down the street. He left the cafe and began walking, muttering an apology as he smacked into a few people.

"Anyway, I got stuck watching this other show and the action that goes on there makes Jerry Springer look like Oprah in comparison."

"Lex, I get that you're bored, but I told you ..."

"So come and spring me from this joint so we can chase him together."

"You know I can't do that until the doc gives the okay."

"So I'll go AMA."

"AMA?"

"Against medical advice. Geez, Kal, must I spell out everything for you?"

Kyle sighed and shook his head. Lex could be a drama queen when he wanted to be and it sounded like he was going to complain until he got his way.

"Lex, I'm telling you this for your own good. Stay there until the doc tells you you can go home. Or I will call Mom."

"You do, kid, and it'll be the last thing you'll ever do. Mom'll kill me, but only after she kills you."

"I think Mom would understand that I can't always be there. Especially when it's one in the morning. She'd be more mad at you for actually still working at that time of night."

Kyle paused, hearing sudden movement as if his brother had dropped the phone.

"Alexander Joseph Luthor!"

Oh boy, looked like they were both in trouble now. There was the sound of the phone being picked up again.

"Um, Kal ..."

"I know. I'll call you later when I have something to report."

He hung up and resumed his pursuit.

XXXXX

Lex swallowed hard as he faced the once fiery redhead. Well, she was still just as fiery, even if her hair was not as brilliant as it had once been. The theory that redheads were known for their fiery tempers was not as absurd as he'd formerly believed, having forgotten that he was a redhead himself before the meteor shower.

"Mom ..."

"Don't you 'Mom' me, young man! How is it I hear from Martha and Jonathan that you were in the hospital having nearly been killed ..."

"Mom!" he said, before his mother could get too caught up in her tirade. "I'm sorry that you had to find out from the Kents. We just didn't want to worry you, that's all. I asked Kyle not to call you."

"Yes, well, I'll be having words with your brother as well. How could you think I would not want to be worried about this? Do you think I don't worry about you and your brothers? Especially you and Lucas."

"I get that, Mother. I think you're always going to be worrying about us until we're all old and grey."

"Of course I will. You might be a grown man now, Alexander, but you're still my baby."

She reached out to him, gently stroking his head. He fought not to pull back. Ever since he'd lost his hair, his head had been particularly sensitive. He watched as she sat on the bed. He picked up the remote and switched off the television.

"Now, tell me what happened," she said.

"You don't need to hear the details," he replied.

"Yes, I do," she returned. "I want to hear it all from the beginning."

Sighing, Lex knew there was no possibility of winning any argument against his mother and decided to just co-operate.

"Well, it all started when we took on a new client. He wanted us to find out if one of his people was behind a series of bank robberies ..."

XXXXX

Lois glanced at her watch. He was late. It was nothing unusual. She had no idea what the man did, since he'd never really told her in the two years she'd known him. She clutched the bag in her hands, hoping he'd be happy with what she'd brought him, knowing he was particular.

She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. After she'd left Kyle, she had taken one of the cars from the Daily Planet, since the paper wouldn't let her use her own car. There'd been a lot of cutbacks with the economy being so down and reporters no longer had their own expense accounts. Which sucked.

"Lane."

Lois almost jumped out of her skin at the voice in the car. She spun around, staring at the man in the backseat. Either she had been lost in a daydream or he was just really sneaky. She decided it must be the latter as he had done it a few times.

"What'd you bring me," he said.

Lois handed over the bag without a word and he grinned, looking inside.

"Umm, ham on rye, hold the mustard. Perfect. You spoil a guy, Lane." He unwrapped the sandwich and took a big bite. Mouth still full of food, he spoke again. "So, Lane, I hear you're dating a dick."

Lois frowned. "Huh?"

"Private dick," he amended. She bristled defensively.

"His name is Kyle, and how did you hear about that? We've only been out on a date once."

"But you've known him practically all your life, well, that's what I hear. What took you two so long?"

"That's none of your business, Bobby," she told him. "And stop getting crumbs on the backseat."

Bobby Bigmouth smacked her lightly on the shoulder.

"Aw hell, I didn't mean nothing by it, Princess. Heck, I'd love to meet this guy if he's got anything to do with the way you're glowing."

"Don't call me Princess, and what do you mean by glow?" she asked.

"It's written all over your face, Lane. Must be love. I remember what that was like, many moons ago. Of course, then he went and up and left me for an ice dancer. An ice dancer! Pah!" He spat out a few crumbs in disgust. He chewed thoughtfully, then dug in the bag. "Mm, éclairs! You sure know how to woo a guy. No wonder Luthor's crazy about you."

"Bobby ..."

"Right. Down to business. Word on the street is the guys behind these robberies are plenty pissed now that their boss has been taken down. It won't be long before they do something to screw themselves."

"What can they do, Bobby? How are they getting inside the banks?"

"Well, the boss can apparently walk through walls, but there's this other guy who can affect any electronic doohickey; make it look like it's on the fritz or something. So that takes care of any surveillance. The third guy, well, it's like he can freeze time."

"Freeze time?"

"Don't ask me how he does it, but yeah, that's how they're getting in under people's noses."

"But that doesn't make any sense. If he can freeze time, what about the surveillance? That should also freeze."

Bobby shrugged. "I dunno."

"It sounds more to me like super speed," she mused quietly, but not loud enough for Bobby to hear. It was quiet in the car while he munched on his dessert. "What about Floyd?"

"He's nuthin' but a bit player in this whole drama."

"Where does the murder of the guard fit in?"

"Way I figure it, one of the guys involved used to work for the company that supplies the guards. He got fired. Something to do with the boss' kid."

That was certainly information Kyle and Lex would need to know, she thought. Lex had told her he'd been screening their client's contractors but nothing had turned up. They had been due to interview the dead man on Monday, but of course he'd been killed.

The question still remained. Why?

Bobby left soon after, telling her he had nothing more for her. She suspected he knew more than that but he was either holding out for more food, or he had good reason not to say any more. She hoped it was the latter. Bobby might be fussy in terms of the food he preferred, but he was never greedy.

She checked her cellphone and was disappointed to find no text from Kyle, but when she got back to the office, she saw him waiting for her. With a bouquet of lilies.

"Are those for me?" she asked with a smile.

"No, they're for my other girlfriend," he smirked.

"Which one?" she shot back. "Because I know you have a couple of little black books full."

He chuckled, pulling her into his arms and laying a hot kiss on her lips.

"Nope. No black books. I threw them out."

"You'd better have," she told him with a possessive growl, taking the flowers from him and dropping them on the desk before wrapping her arms around his neck to return his kiss.

Their embrace was greeted with a couple of wolf whistles from the corridor. Lois glanced at the two staffers who were grinning in at her.

"Don't you have anything better to do, Olsen?"

"You're kidding, right?" Jimmy grinned. "Best show in town."

"Amscray!" Kyle growled at the shorter man. Jimmy's eyes widened in what Lois thought looked like abject terror. The redhead pulled his companion away.

Kyle snickered. "They're talking about how scary I am," he said, amusement making his eyes twinkle.

"You are, you big bully," she told him, smacking his shoulder with her fist.

He crowded her so she was forced up against the wall.

"Bully, am I?" he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yup," she replied.

He looked down at her with a silly grin on his face. His lips were just inches away from hers and she was begging silently for him to kiss her. He continued to hold himself back, although she could tell it was a struggle.

"Take it back," he commanded softly.

"Nuh-uh!"

She could feel his hand creeping up the back of her thigh, cupping her butt cheek. Just the touch of that hand set her on fire and she gasped.

"Lane," he said warningly, still caressing her.

"What will you do if I don't?" she asked, loving this game.

"How about I take you over my knee and spank you?" he replied, his tone husky and so seductive. She was going to cave and she knew it. "Then again," he said, "you might like it."

She grinned back at him. "I might too."

He seemed to be finding it hard to breathe, his chest rising and falling visibly as he fought to take in breaths.

"What have you done to me, Lois Lane? You've bewitched me."

"I put a spell on you," she sang softly. "Because you're mine."

"And you're mine," he whispered.

"Yes."

Just when she thought he was going to kiss her, she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.

"You two might want to find somewhere more private if you're going to be breaking the PG-13 rating."

Lois looked at her boss.

"Um, Perry, we ..."

He shook his head and laughed.

"Don't worry, Lane. I was your age once upon a time. Luthor, next time you decide to visit Lois at work, you might want to check she doesn't have any deadlines looming. And Lane, I want your copy, like twenty minutes ago."

She nodded. "Sorry chief. I'll get right on that."

Kyle smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Perry. I'll remember that next time." He kissed her briefly. "Mom called and, uh, invited us for dinner."

By 'invited', Lois took to mean that Lillian had told her son in no uncertain terms that he was expected for dinner and to take her with him.

He left, promising to pick her up at six-thirty. Lois watched her boss and her boyfriend walk out together before turning to her desk. She smiled at the flowers still sitting on her desk. She would need to find a vase or something to put them in, she thought, picking them up and sniffing the delicate fragrance. It was just like Kyle to buy her favourite flowers.

XXXXX

Earlier, Kyle had lost Floyd in the crowd, which made him wonder if the other man had seen him following. He'd decided to go to the office and start looking through some more research, but had become bored with it after a short time. Without his brother as his sounding board, pitching ideas back and forth, it just didn't work.

Just as he began to close up shop for the day, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller id and took a deep breath.

"Hi Mom," he said warily.

"You know you're in trouble," his mother replied. "I can tell from the tone of your voice."

"Uh, Mom ..."

"Don't even start with me, young man. We really need to have a talk about you keeping things from me."

"Well, Lex ..."

"No! No excuses. I want you and Lois to come for dinner tonight. And I won't take no for an answer, do you hear me?"

"Uh, yes ma'am."

He decided to visit the Daily Planet, hoping Lois was back from her meeting by now. On the way, he spotted a florist and picked out a bouquet of lilies, since he knew they were Lois' favourite flowers.

He had only meant to drop the flowers off and tell her about dinner, but he couldn't resist teasing her a little. Now that he knew how she felt about him, he loved getting her riled up.

Perry looked at him as they walked out. He appeared to be trying to look mad, but the twinkle in his eyes gave him away.

"I'm out fifty bucks, you know. You couldn't have held out until, say, next month?"

He shrugged. "Sorry."

"Aw hell, kid, I gotta admit it's nice to see you both with smiles on your faces. It's been a long time since I've seen Lois looking so happy."

"Yeah. Thanks, Perry."

"Heading out?"

"Just thought I'd check in with Lex in the hospital. The doc said they won't release him until tomorrow and it's a pretty safe bet he's chomping at the bit."

Perry laughed. "Yeah, your brother never did like sitting still for too long."

Kyle left the Daily Planet and flew to Smallville, making sure no one was around when he landed in the grounds of the Medical Center. He walked along the fifth floor corridor to his brother's room and hesitated outside the door, hearing someone talking.

"You know, I think you just do this on purpose so you can get attention."

"You calling me a spoiled brat, Jurgensen?"

"Who me?"

Kyle opened the door, smirking at his brother, who was glaring at the woman sitting in the chair beside the bed. Jacquie was grinning at Lex.

"Kyle, you know Jacquie."

"Yeah. Hi," he said. "How's the patient?"

"Itching to get out of this damn bed," Lex replied with a growl.

"Dr Hardin said you have to stay until tomorrow. They just wanted to make sure your heart wasn't damaged, that's all."

"I feel perfectly fine."

Jacquie rolled her eyes. "He's been complaining since I got here."

"Yeah, Lex never was a very good patient," Kyle agreed.

"So what happened with Floyd?" Lex asked, clearly deciding to change the topic of conversation.

"I lost him."

His brother looked incredulous. "You lost him? What kind of private investigator are you?"

"A very good one, actually, except when someone keeps whining in my ear about how bored he is."

"Well, if they'd let me out of this bed, we could have double-teamed it."

Jacquie groaned.

"Oh, here we go again."

"Quiet you," Lex snapped.

"Hey, don't snap at me. You're the one who got attacked by some psycho." She sighed. "Why am I even considering this relationship?"

"Because I'm smart, handsome, and I'm good in bed."

"Ugh, TMI," Kyle groaned.

"You wish, Luthor," Jacquie replied. "It's going to take a lot more than a couple of dates to get into these pants."

Lex looked down at the tailored pants she was wearing. They were tight, just not skintight.

"Those pants?" he said, arching an eyebrow.

"Watch it!" she shot back.

"Watch what? You know something, Jurgensen? You're a tease."

"Am I, now? Why? Because I actually expect dinner before I put out?" Her blue eyes were practically blazing.

"Do I really need to hear this?" Kyle asked.

Lex waved his hand at him, his gaze still on the beautiful woman in front of him.

"If you have nothing to report, then you can go home. Besides, I heard Mom was expecting you and Lois for dinner."

"Is anything a secret around here?" he asked.

"Nope."

Kyle left them to it. He caught the look on his brother's face. Despite the way things sounded, it looked to him like Lex and Jacquie were enjoying pushing each other's buttons.

A lot like me and Lois, he thought with a grin.

He spotted Dr Hardin in the corridor and stopped to speak to her. She smiled at him.

"Your brother is one stubborn patient."

"Yeah, I know. Everything okay?"

"We were a little worried about his heart, which is why we ordered some tests today. So far his ECG has come back normal, and that's good."

"But you're still worried."

She began walking with him, trying to keep up with his longer strides.

"To be honest, after the heart problems he had a few years ago, we did wonder if perhaps this might prove too much of a strain. When you brought him in last night, his heart function was well below the normal range. Yet, when we tested him today, there were no signs of any abnormalities. It was as if it had never happened."

"Well, that's good, right?"

"Kyle, his white cell count is off the charts."

"He's always had that. Ever since the meteor shower."

She nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, the meteor shower did that to a lot of people. I checked your brother's medical history and apart from the heart problems, he hasn't been sick a day in his life since the age of nine."

"But that's a good thing, right?"

"I suppose. I just ... I would like to see your brother for more tests."

Kyle shook his head. "That's not going to happen. Look, Dr Hardin, I appreciate the concern, but Lex has had a lot of medical tests over the years and they all put it in the too hard basket. If I notice anything that worries me, I will make sure Lex seeks medical advice. I mean, at least he's agreed to stay in the hospital until tomorrow, so you can at least keep him under observation for one more night."

"Of course," she said. "It is a patient's right to refuse medical care if they deem it unnecessary."

He smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

"Thanks doc."

He turned and opened the door to the stairs, walking quickly down to the emergency level. Just as he reached the exit, someone called his name.

Kyle turned and stared at the brunette smiling at him.

"Hi," she said.


End file.
